The Secret Tower
by SugaredPoison
Summary: Hogwarts is full of secrets, but what lies beyond the hidden door at the top of Gryffindor Tower may be the biggest of them all. When Harry Potter and his friends discover that secret, things may never be the same again...
1. Prologue :: The Love Child

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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**Fifteen Years Ago**  
Lucius Malfoy was a wanted man. He had made a fatal error of judgement when he placed the Imperious Curse on the young man late that night. He should have realized that the boy belonged to the Villdawicks, but he had been so caught up in his enthusaistic attempt to recruit yet another to the service of his Dark Lord that he hadn't even noticed the medallion that the boy wore, the mark of the Vills. Had he known, he surely wouldn't have dared such a dangerous attempt. But now, he was a wanted man, a hunted man, for the Vills had a very nasty streak in their bloodline, and to muck with one of their own is to muck with them all. Revenge was to be sought, Lucius had no doubt of that. The question was, how was he going to avoid being killed as a means of it?

He paced the floor in the tiny, run-down rowhouse, his footsteps causing the narrow, half-rotted floorboards to creak, his thoughts swirling around in his head at an alarming rate. The baby had stopped crying. His little family was in danger, he knew it, for once he was found here they would come to get him, and they would spare no mercy for the innocent woman and child in the bedroom upstairs. Biting his lip, he stared into the fire, as though looking for an answer to his problems within the dancing flames.

A sound outside made him jump. He spun round on his heel and his eyes fixed on a tiny light outside the main front window. Had he just seen a shadow? His breath caught in his throat, and he knew they were there. His mind racing, he looked around for something to use for protection. His wand in his hand, though he knew it would do no good in the face of the Vills' rage. The sound of breaking glass, a loud thud from upstairs and the baby began shrieking again. Instinct made him run up the steps, taking them two at a time, and into the bedroom at the end of the hall.

They had beaten him there. His golden-haired love lie on the floor, her neck at an odd angle, blood oozing from a tiny wound on her throat. The baby - oh, Merlin's beard, the baby! - in the hands of an exceptionally ugly middle-aged woman. The woman grinned sickeningly at him, her fangs glistening in the firelight.

"A babe for a babe," she growled, her deep voice resembling the rattle of a poisonous snake. With that, the baby still howling in her arms, she turned and leapt out the broken window, and disappeared into the night.

Lucius jumped over his darling's body and ran for the window, but they were out of sight by the time he reached it. Fear and grief filling him to the core, he sucked in a deep breath and screamed his child's name out into the night sky:

"CASSIUS!"

Sobs of dread raking his body, he sank to the floor beside his beloved Margeurite. He cradled her head in his lap, brushed her hair from her lovely face, and looked down into her dead, staring eyes. "Darling, darling, they've taken our baby. It's too late, I'm so sorry..." After taking a moment to collect himself, he gently closed her eyes with his hand, and rose to his feet. He pulled a coverlet from the bed and used it to cover her body with, then, without saying another word, turned and walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house.

It was time to go home.

His wife and son would be wondering where he'd gone to...


	2. Chapter 1 :: Bloodbrat

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation.**

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**_Three Years Later_**  
A chill in the air forced Severus Snape to pull the front of his long, black robes closed tightly as he walked down the block toward the train station. He could easily Apparate to the new little Wizards' Supply Shop that he was heading to, but something about the clear night sky and the impending arrival of the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - which would mean no more lone trips like this again until the Christmas holidays - left him with the desire to travel by the train. Shifting the bag he was carrying, filled with various ingredients to use in his own free time (as some of the potions he made weren't appropriate for the underage wizards to know as of yet), to his other hand, he detoured into a little tavern owned by the Villdawicks, with a dim light coming through the somewhat grimy windows.

Seating himself by the door, he ordered a butterbeer from the serving girl who appeared almost instantly at his side.

"Is there anything else for you tonight?" she asked, her lilting voice obviously trying to get his attention.

Almost ignoring her, his eyes on a copy of the Quibbler that someone had left on the table previously, he shook his head. The girl made a bit of a face, and sauntered off to get his drink.

Snape flipped through the pages of the Quibbler idly, his eyes flicking over the moving advertisements and his lips turning up in a sneer at a comical drawing that made fun of Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Taking a long drink from the tankard the serving girl had set before him, something caught his attention from the corner of the room - a girl, a very little girl, was clearing tables of their dishes and giving them a wipe with a ratty-looking rag. He watched her work, curious, as her tiny hands deftly stacked plates and bowls and balanced them carefully as she carried them back to the bar. He was amazed - the little girl couldn't have been more than four years old.

As the serving girl brushed by him, Snape motioned for her to come near.

"Yes, sir? Would you like another?"

"No. Tell me, who is that girl? She seems awfully young to have been - er - turned by one of your people, isn't she?" he asked, his eyes still following the child, who somehow seemed familiar to him, though he couldn't think why.

"What, are you talking about that nasty little beast?" the servant girl asked, motioning toward the child. "Oh, that's Bloodbrat, our slave-child. She's not much good for anything besides wiping tables, but she makes for a good Midnight snack once in a while," she added with a wink in his direction.

"Do you mean she's Muggle?" Snape asked, surprised.

The serving girl made a face. "No, no," she replied. "If she were, we would just as soon have killed her than let her live, even as a slave. No, dear, she's got the sweetest type of blood - pure wizard blood!"

Snape jumped slightly at these words and his eyes flew back to the little one, who was wiping off the seat of a chair just a table away. Suddenly, the child looked up at him, and for an instant, her icy blue eyes, which stood out so bright against her raven-black hair, locked into his, and he could see the sadness she felt deep inside. Her lip twitched in a funny way, and all at once Snape realized why she looked so familiar.

Rising to his feet, Snape dropped three Sickles on the table, grabbed his sack of ingredients, and hurried out of the tavern, not looking back at the forlorn child.

Stopping in the middle of the street, his heart thumping in his chest, he thought for a moment, then ducked back into the alley behind the old tavern. He wouldn't make it back to the school tonight, but that was not a problem.

He had to get the child out of there, and back where she belonged...

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**Would love some reviews...~SP**


	3. Chapter 2 :: Reunited To Say Goodbye

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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Hours later, the sun finally peeked over the horizon, and the voices within the old Tavern fell silent. Allowing a few moments for sleep to settle in among those inside, Snape took out his wand, and aimed it at one of the panes in the window.

"_EVANESCO_!" The glass vanished, and he reached in through the hole to unlock the window and push it open. He climbed through the tight space, and looked around the dark dining room. There was no sign of any of the Vills, or the child. He crept softly across the floor to a closed door on the back wall, behind the bar, and, pulling it open, stepped through silently. The dark was impossible to see through, though he could hear the snores of the creatures surrounding him - he had found the main sleeping chamber. Thinking that the girl most likely would be in here, as they would be keeping her on their schedule, he held his wand out in front of him and whispered, "Lumos", and a small beam of light erupted from the tip. Tiptoeing, he held the dim light in front of him and inspected the sleeping bodies, until finally his eyes fell upon the tiny form of the little girl, lying closest to the window. As he got closer, he was surprised to see her eyes wide open, and looking up at him. He removed his cloak and, draping it over her, lifted her into his arms and hurried quietly back out into the daylight.

Once they were outside, Snape set the child down, then leaned back against a wall and let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He closed his eyes for a moment, and upon opening them, found icy blue eyes peering up at him from a face that was surprisingly calm, as though the girl had been expecting something like this to happen.

"Alright, I've got you out, now let's get you home," he told her, and walked past her in the direction of the train station. Stopping a few feet away, he looked back and was satisfied to see her following him.

Most of the day had gone by before they reached their destination, and Snape was exhausted by the time he finally rang the doorbell. The little girl stood at his side, silent during the entire trip, he thought he could hear a faint whimpering from her now.

The door opened, and Lucius Malfoy smiled coldly at the sight of his old friend. "Good day, Severus, this is a bit of a surprise. Are you here to see Dra-" Lucius cut off midsentence, when his eyes fell on the little girl. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, as though he were trying to say something but the words just wouldn't seem to form. Blinking rapidly, he shook his head slightly a couple of times. Slowly, his expression began to change, from shocked and confused, to joyous, almost near to tears. Dropping to his knees in front of the child, looking into her eyes, eyes so very much like his own, he choked back a sob and took her into his arms.

"C-C-Cassius...my baby girl...you're _alive_!" he sputtered, tears of relief spilling down his cheeks. He looked gratefully up at Snape. "Where...how...?"

"I found her in an old tavern. She was used as a slave...and a...er...food supply..." Snape explained. Lucius paled. "I thought it would be best to get her out of the situation immediately, and return her to her father..."

Lucius' face went even whiter. "Return her...to me?! Severus...no...I can't...you know...Narcissa...Draco...they don't know...I just _can't_!"

Anger flashed in Snape's dark eyes and he took a step toward Lucius, who was getting to his feet. "This child needs care, and as her father, you are the one responsible for her!"

"Yes, yes, I know, but..." Lucius thought for a moment.

"...Lucius?" a voice from somewhere inside the giant house called. Lucius jumped, and quickly pulled a small sack out of his pocket and thrust it into Snape's hand.

"Here, take this, it's all I have on me at the moment. I'll send more tomorrow," he said quickly. He pushed the child toward Snape.

Snape's face twisted in confusion and anger. "What am _I_ supposed to do with her??"

Lucius looked over his shoulder, then turned back to Snape. "I don't know, you'll think of something. I trust you, Severus. I know you will take good care of her. If you ever need anything, just let me know by owl - send it to my work, not here, so that Narcissa doesn't find out - and I will send it to you straight away. Now please, go, before you're seen!" With that, he started to retreat into back into the house. Before closing the door, though, he stopped and looked at Snape, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "And, Severus...Thank you..." He looked at the girl. "I can't tell you what it means to know my little girl is alive..." He stepped back and closed the door with a soft click.

Snape stood on the doorstep, his mouth hanging slightly open. He looked down at the girl, who was peering back up at him with her big, sad eyes.

"Well, now what am I supposed to do with you?"

She just looked back up at him, not saying anything, her tiny mouth pulled back in an expression of great sorrow and fear. She looked as though she were afraid she had done something wrong.

Snape pursed his lips for a moment, then heaved a sigh. "Well, come on then, I suppose you'll be hungry now. Let's get something to eat."

He led the way back down the pathway to the road.

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**Nothing sweeter than a snarky old Potions Master confronted with the presence of a small child...so endearing. Or not. Reviews are lovely...~ SP**


	4. Chapter 3 :: Met & Sorted

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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Over a supper that Snape had to convince Cassius to eat, he thought out loud, addressing her, as though she may have an answer. She looked as though she was listening intently, and occassionaly her expression would change as if she understood everything he was saying. Finally, after much pondering, he decided to drop her at the orphanage just outside of Hogsmeade, only a few blocks away.

Leaving the tavern, Snape led her the short distance to the run-down building that housed the orphanage. He stood her in the center of the doorstep, and rapped heavily on the door a few times. He looked down at her, and for a moment wondered if this was the right thing. He shook his head and turned away, keeping his eyes on her.

"Stay here. You'll be safe," he said plainly, and walked briskly away.

He hadn't gone far before he thought he heard something behind him. He spun quickly to face his follower, but saw no one. Continuing on his way, he once again heard quiet footsteps trailing him about a block later. Again, he spun around, and again, saw no one. However, as he began to turn back in the direction of Hogwarts, his eyes flicked downward and were met with a surprise - Cassius stood barely a foot away from him; she had followed him the entire way.

Exasperated, Snape waved her away. "What do you think you're doing? Go back to where I left you, girl. Go on, shoo!" He tried to leave, but was stopped by a tiny hand grasping his robes. Her small eyes gazed up at him pleadingly, and her tiny arms raised slowly, reaching for him. Looking around, at a complete loss for words, Snape nervously tried to figure out what she wanted. He reached down and picked her up rather awkwardly, holding her out at arm's length and looking at her, puzzled.

And then, for the first time since he had seen her in that little tavern, wiping those tables...she spoke. Just one word, plain and simple, but it was enough to effect him in ways he'd never imagined possible: "Please."

He stared at her for a moment, and noticed something: Deep in her clear blue eyes was a look of great wisdom, well beyond her four years. The child had been through so much in her short life, and somehow, deep down, Snape knew what he had to do. He realized he had been mistaken to think he could just leave her, never knowing what would become of her.

"Come on, then. I'll take you to Dumbledore. He'll know what to do." He set her back down and led her in the direction of the school.

*

Upon arriving, Snape took Cassius directly to the Headmaster's office, where he promptly explained to Dumbledore the situation, leaving out no details. As they sat and talked, Cassius examined the office with interest, eyeing the Phoenix, Fawkes, sitting on his perch, then gazing up at the old, tattered Sorting Hat. Before long, she yawned quietly and, without hesitation, climbed up into Snape's lap and laid her little head on his shoulder, her thumb in her mouth. Dumbledore couldn't help but smile at the look of awkward discomfort on Snape's face as he tried to figure out whether to put his arms around her, rest them at his sides, or try to move her off completely.

"Well, Severus, I think the choice is clear - I feel it would be best for the child if she were to stay right here, at Hogwarts. I'm sure she will bring about a pleasant atmosphere for everyone here. We will provide her with a private room, and assign some portraits to her for companionship and extra guard. When she is old enough, she can attend lessons with the rest of the students. Mind you, she is your responsibility before anyone else's," Dumbledore said, looking over his half-moon spectacles at Snape.

Snape nodded, and moved to try to lift the girl from his lap. "Yes, Headmaster. I will take her on and set her up in a room now--"

"Not so fast, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted, rising from his seat and reaching for the Sorting Hat. "Though you will always be first and foremost in her care and upbringing, she must be Sorted, just as any other student here must be."

Snape looked bothered. "But she's not a student here, she's much too young for that. I think she would be best off kept with me in Slytherin..."

"Be that as it may, Severus, she one day will be a student here, and I think it would be best to start her on the path she is already destined for..."  
"But her father is Lucius--"

"--Malfoy. Yes, you told me that. But though they share the same blood, they do not share the same heart, the same mind. No, she must be sorted, it is for the best. Don't worry, Severus. No matter what house she is placed in, she will be well looked after, I assure you, and you will always have access to her, whenever you like."

With that, Dumbledore placed the old hat on the sleepy child's head, and it immediately sprang to life.

"Hmmm...so young..." said the hat in it's scratchy old voice. "...and yet so obvious...This child belongs in Gryffindor!"

Snape's face fell in disappointment as Dumbledore replaced the hat on it's shelf, and went to the door, holding it open for Snape and following him out. They headed down the corridor toward Gryffindor tower. Dumbledore noticed how a touch of softness was beginning to break through on Snape's usually straight face when he looked at the little girl who was sleeping soundly in his arms.

"You have a gift there, Severus. What you are doing for that child is more than remarkable. I'm sure, with time, you will find that there was a reason why you found at the last minute that you simply couldn't leave her. But, for now, let us put her to bed, let her dream the rest of the night away in peace. Tomorrow, her whole new life begins..."


	5. Chapter 4 :: Problems

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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Life at Hogwarts' was wonderful for little Cassius. In the few weeks she had been there, as teachers bustled around, preparing for the students' return, she had endeared herself to most of the Professors, won the heart of Hagrid, the Gamekeeper, and even made friends with Filch's mean little kitten, Mrs. Norris. Her days were most often spent in such a way:

In the morning, Snape would meet her at the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room and they would walk to breakfast in the Great Hall together. After breakfast, she would visit Professor Sprout in the greenhouse, and play with some of the friendlier pixies that lived in the garden. She would have lunch with Hagrid in his hut, and he would read her a story until she fell asleep on his cot. After waking from her nap, Hagrid took her back to the school and dropped her off to Snape in the Dungeon classroom where he taught Potions, and she would sit on the floor with an old cauldron and a wooden spoon, pretending to make up concoctions as she saw Snape doing. Sometimes, he would give her small vials filled with water or pumpkin juice to play with and mix about. In the evening, after supper in the Great Hall, Snape would take her up to her private bedroom in the tower, and leave her in Professor McGonagall's hands to prepare for bed.

Just as all of the other teachers were doing, Snape was finding himself growing fond of the little girl. Cassius seemed to love everyone at the school (including cranky old Filch - though even he had begun showing signs of a real smile when he watched her playing with Mrs. Norris), but no one could deny that she was most attached to Snape, sticking close to his side as often as possible, especially at the feasts, and running to him when she was frightened of something (like when she first caught sight of Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost).

The biggest problem seemed to be that she wasn't speaking to anybody. Aside from her one-worded plea to Snape on the first night they met, no one had heard her say a word since her arrival at Hogwarts. There were many debates as to why she wasn't talking - perhaps she didn't really know many words, or maybe she was just shy. Snape showed alot of patience with her, surprising the other teachers with how kind he was to the child.

One particularly cloudy afternoon, sitting in the small field out of Hagrid's hut, Cassius sat weaving tiny flowers together to make a little quilt of sorts, as the half-giant looked on, a smile on his face.

"Alrigh' then, little love. You go on about yer work there, an' I'll go rustle us up a bit of a snack," he said. Cassius looked up at him, and her tiny mouth pulled into a wide grin, that made her eyes squint and her little nose crinkle. Chuckling to himself, Hagrid retreated into his hut, and began putting together a small lunch for the two of them.

Outside, Cassius concentrated on tying a knot in one of the tiny stems, when the shadow of a bird flying overhead made her look up. She watched the bird disappear into the distance, but before turning back to her work, a moving cloud caught her eye. She watched the enormous cloud inch along slowly across the sky, revealing the bright sun. She smiled as the field lit up, and the sun's rays shone warmly down on her. Suddenly, she threw her arms up over her face, dropping the quilt, and she let out a piercing scream. Hagrid dropped a pitcher full of pumpkin juice, spilling its contents all over the floor, and rushed to the window to see what happened. There, in the field, Cassius lay on her back, still screaming, and rolling back and forth in agony. Dark, gray smoke rose from her body in heavy clouds.

"Blimy!" Hagrid shouted, and, grabbing a worn cover from his cot, he ran as fast as his large body would go out to the child. He threw the blanket over her small body, lifted her gently into his arms, and hurried back up the path to the school with her. A few of the teachers, including Snape and McGonagall, having heard the screams all the way from the school, were rushing out to see what had happened. Snape was the first to reach them.

"What the devil happened?" he shouted, taking the girl from Hagrid.

Hagrid, sounding scared and desperate, tried his best to explain what he had seen. "She was fine one minute, Professor, then all of a sudden, she was screamin'! I ran ter see what was goin' on, and she was jus' lyin' there, rollin' around and screamin', and her whole body was smokin', like she was on fire or summat! So I wrapped her up and brought her right up here ter the school, I was goin' ter take her to the hospital wing! I really don' know what happened!"

Snape pulled the blanket back from Cassius' face and peered in at her through the remaining wisps of smoke. A faint smell of burned flesh was present, and his heart jumped into his throat when he saw the little girl's bright red, blistered face. The other teachers looked over Snape's shoulder at the child and he could hear their gasps of shock.

"Hurry now, Severus, those burns must be treated immediately!" urged McGonagall. Snape turned and ran with the girl in his arms all the way to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey wasted no time with covering Cassius with a strong-smelling cream that healed the burns almost immediately. Despite the healing, the child still lay unconscious.

"Why is she still out?" Snape demanded, standing over Cassius, his eyes fixed on her pretty face.

"I've done all I can, Professor," said Madam Pomfrey. "From this point, all we can do is wait for her to wake up on her own."

*

A few days later, Cassius still lay unconscious in the hospital wing. Snape had remained at her side nearly every moment, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's urges to take breaks to eat and sleep.

One rainy evening, Dumbledore dropped by to check on the girl, and have a talk with Snape about what had happened. Settling himself into the chair beside the bed, he glanced quickly at Snape before looking down at Cassius. Snape was seated on the edge of the bed, holding the girl's small hand in his own, his eyes fixed on her pretty little face. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and looked at Snape.

"What has happened here, Severus," he began softly, "is very serious. Do you realize what this incident means?"

Snape frowned sadly and nodded. "She's changing," he said. "She's becoming one of them."

Dumbledore shook his head. "Not entirely. You see, young Cassius here possesses something that the Villdawicks do not - her life."

Snape looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"As long as she is alive, she will never fully become a vampire. Though their use of her as a...food supply...has caused her body to take on certain traits of theirs, such as the sensitivity to sunlight, she will never acquire the taste for blood that they have, or walk among the dead as one of their own."

"What other...traits...do you think she will take on?" Snape asked.

"Only time will tell, Severus."

A pained expression crossed Snape's face. "Is there any way to reverse it?"

"At the moment, no," Dumbledore replied sadly. "But we will find a way. We have time. Have faith in that." Dumbledore rose to leave.

"What do you mean," Snape said quickly, "'we have time'? Do you think they might come after her to...finish the job?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "There is no way of knowing. Even if they do, she will be of no good use to them until she reaches at least sixteen years of age. That gives us time, time to find a solution, time to come up with a plan. In the meantime, I fear it may be best to keep her seperated from the students. I will go and cast a charm over the top room of Gryffindor tower, and arrange to have her things moved there. I will also inform the others about the situation..." With a last look at Cassius, he turned to leave. In passing, he paused, and placed a gently hand on Snape's shoulder. "You should join us for the feast, Severus. Some of the others have been growing concerned about you."

Dumbledore quietly left the wing, and Madam Pomfrey, who had been busy putting fresh linens on the beds, spoke with concern in her voice.

"Dumbledore's right, Professor. You need to eat. Starving yourself isn't helping that little girl in the least."

Snape considered this for a moment, then, with a sigh, got to his feet, his eyes still on Cassius.

"I will be back soon, little love. I promise." Hesitating for a moment, he turned away, and headed down the aisle between the rows of beds. He had almost reached the door when something stopped him in his tracks - a voice, tiny, but clear, coming from behind him.

"Don't go, Daddy..."

He turned around and saw little Cassius, wide awake, sitting up in her bed. Her clear blue eyes focused on him as she raised her little arms to reach for him. Moving quickly, he reached her bedside and scooped her up in a tight embrace. Her arms went around his neck, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

Madam Pomfrey, watching close by, clasped her hands in front of her chest and smiled, tears glittering in her eyes. She hurried to gather the dress Cassius had been wearing when she was brought in.

Snape found himself close to tears of relief himself, and when he felt a cold wetness on his cheek from the kiss Cassius had placed there, he had to choke back a sob. He turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"Can I take her now? The others...they will be so happy..." he said, his voice breaking. Madam Pomfrey, crying openly now, nodded her head, and rushed to help change the girl out of her bedclothes. She held the door open for Snape as he carried Cassius out of the hospital wing, and he didn't slow his pace until they arrived at the Great Hall.

There was a great commotion when they entered, teachers jumping from their seats to hurry over and welcome the child back. Hagrid, tears in his eyes, reached them first, and lifted the tiny child out of Snape's arms, pulling her into a hug.

"Alrigh' there, little love?" he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "Sure did give ol' Hagrid a good fright there, ya did. Can't tell ya how good it is ter see ya!"

McGonagall, a wide smile on her face, patted the back of Cassius' head lovingly. "It's nice to have you back with us, little love."

Flitwick, standing on his toes to try to get a good look at the child, added, "We were all so worried about you!"

Struggling to fight back tears again, Snape eased Cassius out of Hagrid's grasp and set her down on the floor.

"Go on and take your seat. It's time to eat," he told her. She took off running, heading for Dumbledore, seated in the center of the long table, who caught her up in a great hug, and lifted her into the chair beside him.

The Hall was a place of great celebration that evening during the feast. But the entire time, Snape found himself plagued with a forboding thought:

_What is going to happen from here on out?_

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**Next chapter: Present day Hogwarts, picking up during Harry, Ron, and Hermione's 5th year (alongside OOtP)**

**Reviews are always welcome =)**

**~ SP**

**Reviews are always welcome =) ~ SP**


	6. Chapter 5 :: The Hidden Window

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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**Twelve Years Later - The Present**  
The fire crackled softly in the Gryffindor common room, and the three friends lounged in front of it, having finally completed their homework.

"Blimey," muttered Ron Weasley. "Do you think Snape could have given us any more homework than that? Two whole parchments on how to make an Invincible potion...Unbelievable."

"Oh, come off it," said Hermione Grainger, casting a sideways glance in his direction. "It wasn't all that bad. In fact, I found it to be rather interesting."

"You would," he replied, making a face at her. She returned his look with one of her own, sticking her tounge out and crossing her eyes at him.

Harry Potter leaned back in his seat and laughed, watching them argue. He shook his head, thinking to himself how odd they were. Always picking at each other, yet between traded faces and snide remarks they were all kisses and cuddles. _They're made for each other_, he thought.

Suddenly, Ron threw a chocolate frog at Harry. "Oy, what's so funny?"

"Nothing, Ron. Nothing at all..." Harry said, still smiling. He stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "Well, I'm off to bed. We have that test in Transfiguration first thing in the morning, I don't want to be late for it." He waved to Hermione and headed for the stairs.

"Yeah, I'll be up in a bit," Ron called after him, and draped his arm across Hermione's shoulders. Harry glanced back at them, and smiled to himself again.

Yawning, he trudged up the stairs to the dormitory room that he shared with Ron, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas. The other three boys were already sleeping, Seamus snoring loudly, and Neville muttering something about his toad, Trevor, so Harry quietly got ready for bed. After getting dressed in his nightclothes, he crossed the room to the window and lifted it open.

"Ready for your exercise, Hedwig?" he said to the snowy owl that sat in her cage by the window, and opened the door to let her out. She stretched her wings appreciatively, and, hooting happily, flew out into the cool night air.

Harry leaned out to watch her flight. It was a beautiful night, the sky full of stars, and the three-quarter moon casting its glow on the huge tower to the right of the boy's dormitories. Harry's eyes went up and down the side of the tower closest to him, appreciating it's greatness. Unlike the tower that held the boys' dormitories, which had rooms all the way to the top, the windows on this tower, the girls', stopped abruptly far below the top, as though the top room didn't exist. Rumor was that there was, in fact, a room in the top of that tower, a locked room with a hidden door and no windows, and that it was where the ghosts all went to rest after a full day of haunting.

A cry told Harry that Hedwig was returning from her rounds, and he started to retreat back into the room when something on the side of the tower caught his eye - had that stone just moved? He blinked and looked closer, but nothing seemed to be different. But then, he was sure he had seen it again...Yes, yes, he was sure he had! Another of the stones moved, shifted slightly to the side! As he watched, suddenly, a whole group of stones began to move, turning and pulling away from each other, much like stone wall behind the Leaky Cauldron in London, that was the entrance to Diagon Alley from the Muggle world. The stones opened into a rectangular hole, and, peering closely, Harry thought he saw a light within the hole...

A hand on his shoulder made him jump nearly out of his skin. Ron grinned at him.

"What are you looking at?" Ron asked, leaning over to look out at the sky. He didn't seem to notice the window that had appeared in the top of the tower. When Harry looked again, he thought he saw something small and dark flying away from where the hole had been, but the window was gone, the stones all back in their places. He shook his head.

"Nothing. Just waiting for Hedwig to come back in," he told Ron. His friend gave him a funny look.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

"Yes, why?"

Ron pointed at Hedwig's cage. She had already returned, and was settled in for the night. Harry felt his ears burning and knew he must have been turning a bit pink.

"I...I must be really tired...I think I should get some sleep..." he muttered.

Ron nodded, still looking at him oddly. "Yeah...yeah, that might be a good idea..."

With a final glance out at the tower, Harry walked away from the window and climbed into bed for the night.

*

"Moving stones?" asked Ron, disbelieving. "Hidden passages behind them? I don't know, Harry. Sounds pretty off, even for Hogwarts."

"Not really, Ron," said Hermione matter-of-factly, leaning over the platter of sausages between them so that they could hear her over the din of the Great Hall's breakfast. "Sounds quite similar to the entrance to Diagon Alley."

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "That's what it reminded me of! Only, it wasn't like a doorway, or a passageway. It was more like...a window..." he said, his voice trailing off in wonder.

Ron took a bite from one of the sausages and, his mouth full, asked, "And when you looked back it was gone?" A small chunk of meat flew out of his mouth and landed barely an inch from Hermione's plate. She pulled away in horror, making a face at him.

"_Yeech_! Oh, that's just _disgusting_, Ronald Weasley! Why don't you learn to keep your trap shut when it's full of food?"

Ron grinned at her, winking. "Sorry, love. Just thought I'd share."

"You _guys_," Harry broke in, exasperated. "What about the window? What should I do?"

"Well, since there doesn't appear to be any problem that has to do with it, I don't see any reason to pursue it." Seeing Harry's frown, Hermione quickly added, "But, if you're really that curious about it, I'm sure you could ask one of the teachers about it. Or Hagrid...He always knows about things like that."

Harry considered for a moment, then nodded. "Hagrid...yeah, I told him I'd stop by this afternoon for lunch, anyway...Do you guys want to come along?"

Hermione shook her head regretfully. "I promised Professor Sprout I'd help degnome the greenhouse again. I swear, I have no idea where they keep coming in, or I'd suggest a blocking charm..."

"I'll go with you, Harry. Got nothing better to do but read up on Potions anyway," Ron said cheerfully.

Harry got to his feet. "Well, we'd better be getting to Charms now. We can go right after, Ron. We'll be early, but I'm sure Hagrid won't mind. Maybe we can offer to help him get ready for his next lesson..."

*

"I don' know what yer talkin' abou'," said Hagrid, not looking at Harry or Ron, as he went about pouring tea into the three cups he had set out on the table in his hut. "Sounds ter me like yer may have been imaginin' things, there, Harry."

Harry shook his head defiantly. "I _wasn't_ imagining anything, Hagrid. I know what I saw, those stones pulled apart to make a window, then something flew out just as they were going back in place!"

Ron looked up from the cards he was sifting through, a puzzled look on his face. "Something flew out? You didn't mention that before..."

Ignoring him, Harry continued. "I know there's something up in that tower, Hagrid, you MUST know something about it," he said, almost pleadingly.

Hagrid sighed. "There's nothing there, Harry, I keep tellin' ya." Seemingly anxious to change the subject, he took a box of trinkets down from a shelf above the little fireplace and set it on the table. "Look here, boys, yer see these things? Me own private collection of knickknacks from around the world. Don' know if I ever showed yer all this," he said a little too loudly.

Ron pawed through the box, and pulled out an old piece of parchment. "What's this, Hagrid?"

Hagrid looked over his shoulder and laughed. "That, me boy, is a Teaser. Anyone who reads it gets a newspaper article abou' somethin' they done that has had a great effect on the wizard world. Of course, they're things that've never happened..."

Ron grinned at Harry, who was looking through the box as well. "I bet it wouldn't be able to come up with anything about Harry, he's already done alot."

Harry smiled a little in response. He HAD done alot, but not enough. Lord Voldemort was still out there somewhere...

Something in the box caught Harry's eye. It was a small, smooth stone, with a sparkling red stone attached in the middle of it. It was so plain, Harry wondered what it could possibly have been for. "What does this do?" he asked, stroking the red stone with his thumb.

Hagrid looked over at him, and jumped at the sight of the stone. He snatched it out of Harry's hands quickly, and dropped it into one of the many pockets of his large coat. "Nothin', jus' looks real pretty."

Harry looked at him quizzically, but before he could say anything else, Hagrid began ushering them out the door.

"Now, if yer boys will excuse me, I need ter prepare for me next class," he said quickly.

"We thought we could help," Ron said, stumbling in the rush.

"No, no, that won' be necessary, thank ye. I've got it on me own. Good to see yer both, come back tomorrow, and bring Hermione with yer!"

With that, Hagrid closed the door, leaving Ron and Harry standing outside, their mouths agape.

"Well, that was odd," said Harry.

"No...that was Hagrid," said Ron.

* * *

**Lovable old Hagrid...**

**Anyone who may have gotten two updates saying this chapter was added -- that wasn't a glitch of the site, it was a glitch of my brain. I uploaded the wrong chapter, LOL...Sorry! I fixed it, obviously, and will add the next chapter (that some may have gotten an accidental early peek at) shortly...**

**~SP**


	7. Chapter 6 :: Night Bird

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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That night, while his schoolmates were all settling into bed, Harry sat at the desk by the window, his eyes fixed on the spot on the tower that he had seen open up the night before. He'd let Hedwig out for her run, telling her she could stay out a little longer if she liked. Of course, she did. He hadn't seen any sign of her for the entire half an hour that had gone by.

The weather wasn't quite as nice as it had been earlier in the day. Thick clouds were spreading across the sky, almost completely blocking out the moon. The lack of light made it a bit difficult to see the tower from where he was, but Harry didn't move from his position. He leaned forward, as still as a statue, straining to focus on the stones. His eyes were beginning to prickle from not blinking often enough, but he ignored the pain.

An hour went by, and still nothing had changed about the tower. His mind was beginning to wander, and he found himself yawning quite a few times. Harry pinched himself a few times to try to keep awake, but it wasn't working too well.

Hedwig returned, perching on Harry's shoulder. He stroked her feathers as she nibbled affectionately on his ear.

"I don't know, Hedwig. Maybe Hagrid's right. Maybe I was just imagining things. But I swear..." He sighed, and lowered his hand. Hedwig flew to her cage and settled herself in. Harry leaned forward and rested his chin on his arms, looking out at the tower. "It just seems so odd...And Hagrid...Why do I get the feeling that he was trying to cover something up?"

Sighing again, Harry sat up and, with a last look at the tower, got to his feet and started toward his bed. He looked at Hedwig, who had tucked her head beneath her wing.

"I guess I may as well give up for the night. Maybe tomorrow..." he started, but a sudden CRASH! made him jump. His head swung back around to face the window he had been looking out of, and there, on the sill, sat a rather dazed looking...bird. A raven. Shaking its tiny head and ruffling its feathers.

Puzzled, Harry took a step toward the window, his widened eyes locked on the bird.

_Ravens aren't night birds_...he thought to himself. As he watched, the raven turned its head and seemed to look right at him. His mouth hanging slightly open, Harry just stared. Then...

...it winked.

Harry shook his own head, not sure if he had just seen that. _Birds don't wink at humans...do they?  
_

With a quick bob of its head in his direction, the raven took off into the night. Harry watched it disappear into the darkness, not sure if he really believed what had just happened. He glanced back up at the tower, which still hadn't changed, and finally turned away, yawning. He climbed into his bed, turned out the light, and lie there thinking...

_Did that really just happen?_

It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep, his dreams haunted by shifting stones and night-flying ravens.

* * *

**Figured I'd go ahead and post this, since I already had it ready =) Short chapter, I know, but don't worry -- the next one will make this one's briefness very worth it...Methinks I sense Harry developing a bit of an obsession with that window, no? **

**A lesson in aviary creatures, everyone's favorite Slytherin, a run-in with Filch's cat, and Snape being...Snape? Next chapter posted shortly!**

**Reviews welcomed and appreciated =)**

**~SP**


	8. Chapter 7 :: Secrets & Surprises

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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The following afternoon, Harry and his friends sat in the Library, talking softly amongst themselves. He had filled them in on the bird from the night before, something which Hermione found to be quite intriguing.

"Owls are the only known species of bird to be nocturnal. It seems strange that a raven would be out and about so late," she said, perplexed.

"Sounds to me like that was one confused bird," Ron stated, looking back and forth between them, looking for agreement.

Harry shook his head. "No, it didn't look confused. A bit dazed, maybe, after hitting the window, but not confused."

Hermione bit her lip, thinking. "The strangest part of it all is you saying that it winked at you. You mean, the bird actually _winked_? Deliberately? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive! It winked, nodded its head, and flew off, just like that," Harry explained again.

"What's this? A bird? Winked at you? Oh, come off it, Potter, a _bird_???" came a voice behind them that made them all cringe slightly. Draco Malfoy stood directly behind Harry, his eyebrows raised in interest. "Having trouble getting a human to pay you some attention, Potter, now you have to try for a _bird_?" He said nastily, and his two goon friends, Crabbe and Goyle, snickered.

"This doesn't involve you, Malfoy," Hermione said, her eyes narrowing at him. "It's none of your business. Bugger off."

"Ooooh," said Malfoy, laughing. "And what are you going to do if I don't, Mudblood? Put a hex on me?"

Hermione's face reddened with anger, but Ron was the first to speak. "Get out of here, Malfoy, I'm warning you!" He got to his feet, pulling out his wand.

"Oh, I'm so scared! Can't you see me shaking?" Malfoy said, holding his hands out in front of him and shaking them. Sneering, he crossed his arms over his chest and stepped back. "You don't frighten me, Weasley. You and your 'friends'-" this word he kind of spat out like something bitter "-are no match for myself." Looking down at Harry, he added, "No matter how great you may think you are."

Ron's face darkened with rage, but before he could do anything, Harry stood up and stepped between them, facing Malfoy. "Come on, you guys," he said to Ron and Hermione. "Let's get out of here. Hagrid is expecting us. We can finish this conversation later, when there are no _reptiles_ around to listen in."

Hermione gathered her books and Ron took them for her, carrying them as the three friends walked out of the Library. Malfoy watched them go, smirking.

"I don't know why you put up with him, Harry," Ron said as they made their way to the Gryffindor common room. "He's such a git!"

"Ron!" Hermione gasped.

"What?" Ron asked, looking at her.

"You're a prefect now," she scolded. "You shouldn't lower yourself to the level of name-calling!"

Ron frowned at her. "Well, it's true, isn't it?"

She glared back at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Alright, it's true," she said, and Ron grinned. "But you still shouldn't say things like that!"

"Fine, then. I'll say it," said Harry, teasing her. "Malfoy's a git!" Ron let out a loud laugh and clapped Harry on the back. Hermione shook her head reproachfully.

"Boys," she said, rolling her eyes again.

*

Harry stayed up late again that night, though this time, he wasn't sitting at the window, watching the tower for changes. In truth, he hadn't even thought that much about it since that afternoon in the Library. Instead, he had been hard at work, studying for yet another exam that McGonagall had announced would be given the next day in Transfiguration.

Gathering his books, he went up to his room, and was greeted upon entering by Ron's loud snoring. He let Hedwig out, changed into his nightclothes, and turned the covers down on his bed. Removing his glasses, he laid them on the desk and leaned toward the window to watch for Hedwig to return. He stifled a yawn, when suddenly something caught his eye. Grabbing his glasses and shoving them back up onto his nose, he looked again and nearly shouted with a strange excitement that set his heart to pounding in his ears - the stones in the tower were moving!

"Ron! Ron, wake up!" he whispered loudly, but his friend wouldn't budge. As he watched, the stones formed an opening like a window, and he could see a light coming from inside. Out of nowhere, a small black form appeared in the sky, and flew straight into the light.

"The raven..." Harry said to himself, puzzled. The stones began to move again, closing the gap, and within seconds the side of the tower was normal again.

Any trace of exhaustion gone, and knowing for sure now that there was indeed something in that tower, Harry wasted no time. He flipped open his trunk, rifled through it a bit, and pulled out his invisibility cloak - the only thing he had that once belonged to his father. He hurried from the room, closing the door quietly behind himself, and as he ran down the stairs, he pulled the cloak over his head, letting the edges drape over his body to the floor. Completely concealed, he turned the corner and crept up the stairs that led to the girls' dormitories.

After climbing for what seemed like forever, he reached the top landing, which was really just a hallway with no doors. He looked around, wondering if he had missed something, when all of a sudden a hole appeared in the far wall, a hole which grew until, finally, it revealed a door much like the one to his room. Harry pressed himself against the wall and held his breath as the door opened, and out walked...a girl.

A young girl, probably about his own age, Harry assumed, very pretty, with smooth black hair that hung down past her shoulders and eyes so bright he could see their icy blue color even in the darkness of the hallway. She walked past him, the skirt of her knee-length, black dress brushing against his cloak. She paused, cocked her head to her side, and looked in his direction. Harry feared for a moment that she would be able to see him despite the cloak, but she continued on her way, hurrying down the stairs. Keeping a safe distance, Harry followed her down through the common room, out through the portrait hole, and onto the landing at the entrance to Gryffindor.

She stood on the landing for a moment, just enough time for Harry to catch up, and waited for the staircase to make its way over. Trying to maintain his distance, Harry waited until she was halfway down before starting to descend himself. Just as his foot touched the top step, though, the staircase began to move again, causing him to nearly lose his balance. With a soft grunt, he grabbed the railing and pulled himself steady. He froze when he saw that she had again stopped, her head tilted slightly, listening. She shook her head, and hurried the rest of the way down to the main corridor, Harry trailing behind.

Halfway down the hall that led to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, the girl stopped yet again, but this time, she didn't appear to be listening to anything. Something had caught her attention, and Harry peeked around her to see what it was. It felt as though a rock had formed in his stomach when he saw what it was - Mrs. Norris, the nasty old cat that belonged to the equally nasty caretaker of the school, Filch.

_She's going to be in big trouble now, Filch will catch her for sure!_ Harry thought to himself, frowning, but the girl crouched down and actually spoke kindly to the cat!

"Hello there, Mrs. Norris, how are you this evening?" she said in a cheerful, almost musical voice. Shocked, Harry watched as Mrs. Norris scurried over to the girl and rubbed against her knees, purring loudly. She held something in her mouth, which she dropped near the girl's feet. "What's that you've got there, sweetness?" the girl asked, and picked up the object, holding it up for inspection. Harry could see that it was a mouse, a large one at that, freshly killed. The girl dropped it immediately, wiping a streak of blood from her finger onto her dress.

"Eww, Mrs. Norris, you can keep that one. Thank you, all the same." The cat meowed and rubbed her knees again affectionately, and the girl laughed. It was a beautiful laugh, one that made Harry's insides feel kind of peculiar, like they were floating on air. She scratched the cat behind the ears and stood up. "Go on, then, Mrs. Norris. Tell Filchy I said hello."

_Filchy? _Harry thought with a shudder. But before he could ponder the girl's choice of nicknames, the cat ran off down the hall, and she began walking again. Harry followed, trying to keep his footsteps as light as he could to avoid any sort of echo in the empty, darkened corridors.

After a few minutes, he realized where they were heading, and Harry's stomach dropped as he watched her round a corner, and disappear into an all-too-familiar room...Snape's classroom. Harry gulped, and stepped in after her, staying up against the wall and watching her nervously, his emerald eyes wide behind his glasses.

But she strode in fearlessly, walking straight toward Snape, who sat at his desk writing something on a roll of parchment. The Potions Master looked up as she approached, his pallid forehead creased from concentrating on his work. Harry braced himself, preparing for the outrage to spew from Snape as he was certain it would.

To his utter astonishment, though, the stress seemed to melt away from Snape's expression, and he actually _smiled_.

"Good evening, little love. I hope you slept well?" he said, his usually hard, cruel eyes softening at the sight of her. She grunted and walked around the desk.

"Hardly," she said irritably. She rested a hand on his shoulder and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. Snape reached up and placed his hand over hers. "Peeves found his way into my room early this morning and spent the entire day starting arguments among the portraits. Kept waking me up all afternoon, all that ruddy shouting."

Snape clicked his tounge sympathetically. "I'll speak to the Bloody Baron about it when I see him again. Before I forget, Professor McGonagall asked me to inform you that there will be an exam tomorrow night, so she thinks it will be wise of you to pay close attention during the lesson this evening."

The girl snickered. "I always pay close attention. I get nearly perfect marks, don't I?"

Snape grinned proudly and patted her hand again, rising from his seat. "That you do, my dear. That you do indeed. However," he continued, putting his hands on her shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes, his face taking on a softer version of the stern expression he always wore during Potions classes, "I fear you may need to work on the Conjuring Spell, perhaps you should ask Professor Flitwick for a little extra help with that one?"

Harry couldn't have said a word, even if he wanted to. He was dumbstruck, witnessing this fatherly side of Snape that he never would have dreamed existed. He inched a little further into the room as Snape moved around his desk, over to a cauldron resting where Malfoy usually sat.

"Hagrid asked me if I would come out and help him with getting rid of those flesh-eating slugs in the vegetable patch," the girl said. "They've made their way back in, the repellent he uses doesn't seem to be strong enough. I told him I would ask you first. May I?"

"I suppose, so long as you finish your lessons. Now then," Snape said, "it's time to begin. Let's start the evening off with a simple Shrinking Solution, you know that one quite well, don't you?"

"I should," replied the girl, gathering together some vials from the table beside Snape's desk. "You taught me that two years ago."

"Well, it's best to keep these things fresh in your mind, little love. Don't ever forget that."

At that moment, Harry, not paying attention to his feet, accidently kicked one of the stools he was standing beside. Snape whipped around, his eyes suddenly wide with fury.

"WHO'S THERE?" he bellowed, causing Harry to flinch under the cloak. Slowly, Snape moved toward him, casting his eyes around the room, searching. The girl, still at the table by the desk, leaned slightly to look around him, her brow furrowed as she tried to locate the source of the noise, as well.

Then her gaze fell on where Harry stood, holding his breath, and her eyes widened.

Harry froze. _Did she see me?! No, she couldn't have, there's no way--_

But he had no time to ponder it. She looked around anxiously, and suddenly her hand shot out, shattering a few of the vials on the table besider her, their contents spilling all over her hand and wrist, and she screamed in pain. Snape jumped, turned around quickly, and, seeing the blood oozing from her cut hand, and the nasty looking burns on her wrist from the mixing ingredients, rushed to her side and carefully seized her fingers, where the flesh looked fairly unscathed.

"Hold still, let me look!" he said urgently, leaning down over her hand. The girl again looked directly at Harry, and he knew she had, in fact, seen him, as she mouthed the word _GO! _to him.

He spared not a second, turning on his heel and dashing out of the room, not stopping until he was safely back in the Gryffindor common room.

Taking a second to catch his breath, he pulled the cloak off and tucked it under his arm, heading back up to his room. Still not calmed down enough to sleep, he lay in his bed, his mind reeling with the inexplicable events that had just taken place.

Nearly four hours later, just before dawn, Harry was jolted from a light, restless sleep by a loud tapping sound at the window. Climbing out of bed and stumbling over to the desk, he located his glasses and pushed them on, then leaned forward and squinted through the foggy window. There, sitting on the sill, was the same raven he had seen twice before. It let out a loud call at the sight of him, and flew upwards - and through the window that had again appeared in the side of the tower. Harry opened the window and leaned out to watch as it disappeared, and a few moments later, a figure took its place...

It was the girl, looking straight down at him.

* * *

**So, Harry's intuition proved to be correct...But now what? **

**I know what you probably thought while reading this chapter -- 'How did Harry get up to the girls' dormitory? Oops, SP forgot the alarm...' **

**Well, to be honest, I didn't forget -- I left it out intentionally. One of many changes this story has from the original =)**

**On another note...I must admit two things: **

**1) I actually began writing this FF almost five years ago, before 'HBP' had even been released. Shoot, 'PoA' had only been out on DVD for about six months when I started writing...so yeah, it was awhile ago. I have three segments of this series completed already, and the fourth is about 1/3 of the way finished. That's how I'm posting the chapters so quickly; until I get caught up, there won't be much of a wait between submissions, haha...**

**2) I actually have a very large soft spot for Severus Snape. That's part of the reason I chose to write him the way that he is in this FF; he's still the same snarky old git he's always been, though, don't worry. He's just got a little more of a twist to his personality. =)**

**~SP**


	9. Chapter 8 :: The ThoughtSender

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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Harry stood, his mouth hanging slightly open, his eyes fixed on the girl looking down at him from the window at the top of the tower. She raised her hand, and motioned something to him. Puzzled, he watched as she stuck out her hands, as though holding something, then clapped them together. He put up his own hands in a confused gesture. She changed her motions, putting one hand over her head and thrusting it out - it looked as though she were throwing something - then pointed at him, and repeated the holding and clapping. Even after a few tries, Harry still didn't get what she was trying to do. He saw her smack herself in the forehead, and she disappeared from the window. A second later, she reappeared, putting her hand out high. He could see she was holding something, and finally figured out what she wanted him to do - she wanted him to catch it! He put his hands out in a cup-like position, and she threw the object down.

"Got it," Harry hissed through his teeth as it landed hard in his grasp, and he closed his hands over it quickly so as not to drop it.

Stepping back into the light, he saw what it was - a small, smooth stone, with a shiny red stone set in its center. It looked very familiar...He rubbed the red stone gently with his thumb, and suddenly, a voice that seemed to come out of nowhere made him drop it to the floor with a soft _thud._

"Lovely night, isn't it?" It was a girl's voice. The girl in the window's voice, to be exact. The girl he had seen going down to Snape's classroom, apparently to begin lessons of some sort.

He looked back out the window and up at her, and she gestured for him to pick the stone back up. When he did, nothing happened. But when his thumb brushed across the red stone again, the voice came back, loud and clear, causing him to jump and nearly drop the stone again.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean to frighten you," the girl's voice said. "I suppose you realize what you need to do. Just place your thumb on the red stone, simple as anything!"

He jerked his head back toward his roommates, and the voice came again. "Oh, don't worry, I won't wake them. They can't hear me. Only you can. I'm in your head, you see. You're hearing me think." A moment of silence passed, and the girl spoke again, sounding a little embarrased. "Forgive me, I can be a bit thick sometimes. To talk to me, all you have to do, with the stone in your hand - thumb on the red one, of course - is think."

He looked at her, and decided to give it a try. "What is this thing?" he asked.

"It's a Thought-Sender," she replied. "A means of communicating without actual words. Comes in handy when you have a secret to share with someone, I can tell you that!" Even across the distance between them, Harry could see her expression go thoughtful. "Unless, of course, someone else happens to be holding one, at the same time..."

"Where...where did you get it?"

"My father made it for me. I have one, as does Hagrid, my father, and now, you."

"You had an extra one?" he asked.

Her voice laughed, that same beautiful laugh he had heard felt his insides go weak again as she replied, "A few weeks ago, I lost mine, and Dad had to make me a new one. I found the original just the other day, and I've kept it in my nighttable drawer since. Hoped it would come into good use one day."

"And you're giving it to me? Wouldn't you rather give it to a friend?" he asked, a bit confused.

"So many questions! My goodness..." Her voice took on a bit of a sad tone as she continued, "I haven't really got any friends, outside of Hagrid and the teachers. Other than you, none of the students know that I'm here."

"But...why? Why don't you attend classes with the rest of us? You look like a fifth year, same as me...Aren't you?"

"Yes, but I must only attend at night. You see, the sunlight...well, the sunlight isn't very kind to me..."

"Why don't you at least come to the common room sometimes? There are so many other kids here, I'm sure you could make friends easily. I mean...you seem very nice."

He could see her smile from where he stood. "Thank you," her voice said sadly, "but my father thinks it is best that I be kept away from the other students. He would be quite upset if he knew I was talking to you now."

Harry made a face. "Well, your father isn't here, and I would think that Dumbledore--"

"Dumbledore agrees with him. In fact, it was his suggestion. And," she added, "my father IS here. He's a teacher."

Harry thought for a moment, and then the realization hit him. "Snape." He saw her nod from her window.

"Yes, and as I'm sure you can imagine, he would go into fits if he ever found out you had even the vaguest inkling about my existence. So, please, don't speak a word of it!" she pleaded.

"I promise," he thought. "But...why would Dumbledore want to keep you from the students? That's not very fair..."

She was quiet for a moment, then answered softly, "There are some things about me that would be very hard to understand, I'm afraid, and they - not just Dumbledore and my dad, but all of the teachers - don't want to put me at risk of being ridiculed by the other kids. They care about me, see. They know me very well, much better than they know any of the other students. With the exception, maybe, of you, Harry Potter."

Harry was quite used to people knowing who he was before he had the chance to introduce himself. "Do you mind if I ask one more question?"

Her voice laughed again. "You just did!"

"Oh...sorry," he answered, embarrased.

She sounded cheerful again, but now with a touch of anxiety in her voice, as she said, "Well, go on then, but make it quick...The sun is rising."

Harry thought quickly, "What's your name?" He saw her smile again.

"Cassius. Cassius Galdeon. Now, then. Keep that Thought Sender nearby, if you'd like...We can have another chat later."

"I'll keep it in my pocket."

She smiled, lifting a hand in a quick wave, and started to retreat from the window.

"Wait!" thought Harry. Cassius glanced worriedly into the distance, at the steadily rising sun.

"Yes? What is it?" she asked quickly.

"You said Hagrid has one of these? And can I at least tell my friends about you? They won't say anything, I trust them!"

"Yes...and, yes, I suppose, but ONLY if you REALLY trust them. There would be a whole lot more trouble than you could imagine if it was discovered that we've met. Now, I must go. Send me a thought when you and your friends are alone together, we'll talk more then."

"Alright...It was nice meeting you..."

"And you as well, Harry." She disappeared from sight, and Harry watched as the stones began shifting back in place. He went to put the Thought Sender into his pocket, but Cassius' voice came one last time.

"Oh, and by the way, Harry...You'd better be careful...Even under that cloak of yours, it would be possible to find you."

* * *

**Thought-Senders: Cell phones of the future. *wink***

**Harry has a secret, and even though he'll obviously fill in his two besties, not one of the trio has been known for being a blabbermouth. So, Cassius' existence is at no risk of being exposed.**

**For now.**

**Next chapter is pretty deep, will post it soon. **

**~SP**


	10. Chapter 9 :: Friends In High Places

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

**

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Ron and Hermione listened intently over breakfast as Harry filled them in on what had happened the night before. Speaking in whispers so as to keep others from overhearing their conversation, they had to strain to hear each other.

"Wow," said Hermione, her eyes wide in amazement. "So you were right...There really IS a hidden room!"

Harry nodded. "And all of the teachers know about it. So does Hagrid." He shook his head. "I can't believe Hagrid lied to us..."

"I can't believe Snape is a father," said Ron, making a face. "And with a decent kid to boot...Odd, but decent..."

"Really," Harry agreed. "I mean, who in their right mind would want to..."

"HARRY!" Hermione cried with a shudder. Her cheeks flushed crimson when a few students sitting nearby glanced over at her curiously, and she lowered her voice again. "I don't want to think about that when I'm trying to eat!"

Ron shook his head. "It's not that that gets me, guys. It's the fact that--"

"What are you three whispering about?" said a voice behind them. They all jumped and looked around to see Snape glaring suspiciously down at them.

"N-n-nothing, Professor," stammered Hermione. "We were just going over our notes for Herbology..."

Snape turned his cold eyes on her. "Notes? I see no notes."

"Not really notes, sir. Just...lesson talk," said Harry, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Snape narrowed his eyes at him, pursed his thin lips, and sauntered away in the direction of the teachers' table.

Ron heaved a sigh of relief. "That was close," he said.

"Maybe we should hold off on this until later," added Hermione. Harry nodded.

"Let's meet at Hagrid's for lunch, then head to the common room before Transfiguration. We can try to get in touch with her then, though she may be asleep..." he said, thinking about the Thought Sender that rested in his pocket. Ron and Hermione agreed, and the three friends parted ways to attend their classes.

*

That afternoon, after spending the past thirty minutes trying hard not to say anything to Hagrid about Cassius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together around one of the small tables in the otherwise empty Gryffindor common room, the Thought Sender lying in the center of their little circle.

"How does this thing work?" asked Hermione, poking the smooth, grey stone.

"You put your thumb on the red one, and just think," Harry said. "I'm wondering, if all three of us put our thumbs on it at once, would we all be able to communicate with her at the same time?"

Ron shrugged. "It's worth a shot, I guess." He reached out and put the tip of his thumb on the edge of the shiny red stone. Hermione and Harry did the same. "Well," asked Ron, "what now?"

Harry concentrated, and thought, "Can you hear me?"

Hermione jumped. "Harry! You don't need to talk so loud! Of course we can hear you!"

"It works!" he replied. "I wasn't talking, Hermione, I was thinking...You guys were hearing my thoughts! Here, give it a go!"

Hermione bit her lip, and thought, "Is it working?"

Harry grinned at her.

"Hey, this is right handy!" Ron's voice piped up. The three friends smiled at each other, when a fourth voice came out of nowhere.

"What's this, here? Harry? Is that you?" said Cassius' voice.

"Yes, Cassius, I'm here! These are my friends, Ron-" Harry started.

"Hi," Ron interjected.

"-and Hermione."

"Hello," added Hermione.

"Well, Ron, Hermione, it's nice to meet you both. I trust Harry told you, of course, how important it is that you tell no one that you know of me?" Cassius said.

"Oh, of course, we won't say a word!" thought Hermione. "It must be so hard, having to be alone all the time..."

"Actually, it's not so bad most times. I have my dad to talk to, and of course dear old Hagrid...And the portraits that Dumbledore had placed in my room. They make for good company on occassion."

"What do you do up there all day?" asked Ron.

"Sleep. I study alot, too, but mostly I just sleep. Sometimes, Filch will let me bring Mrs. Norris up here with me, so that I have some company, other than the portraits. It gets dreadfully boring up here all alone at times, I must admit."

"I can imagine," said Hermione, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Is it very dark in there? It must be quite dreary, with no windows."

Cassius' voice laughed, and Harry felt his insides clench. "Well, I have to say," she said, "it's quite different on the inside from what it looks on the outside."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry. Cassius fell silent for a moment.

"Would you like to see?" she asked, her voice sounding somewhat apprehensive.

Harry looked from Ron to Hermione, and back. Hermione nodded.

"Y-yes, sure, if you think it will be okay," he answered.

"How much time do you have before the next class?"

Hermione's voice replied, "About twenty minutes."

"Plenty of time. Harry, you know how to get here. Go and get your cloak, then all of you come on up. When you get to the top landing, Harry, tap your wand against the far wall, where you saw the door appear, three times, and I will let you all in. Got it?"

"Got it," they replied in unison.

"Right, then! I'll see you all soon!" With that, Cassius' voice stopped coming, and without another word, Harry hurried up to his room to get the Invisibility Cloak.

*

He met Ron and Hermione at the foot of the stairs leading up the girls' side of the tower, and they situated themselves under the cloak, creeping slowly up the steps so as not to become uncovered. When they reached the top landing, remaining under the cloak and relieved to not have had to try and pass anyone making their way down from one of the rooms, Harry did as Cassius had instructed, taking out his wand and tapping the wall with it three times. The door appeared, and Cassius pulled it open, a warm smile on her face. Suddenly, she burst out laughing.

"You silly lot, get in here!" Stepping aside to let them in, she closed the door behind them, and touched the knob with the tip of her wand. They heard a sound like shifting rock coming from the other side.

Still laughing, Cassius reached out and pulled the cloak off of them. "How all three of you could fit under that thing is beyond me. Lucky thing you didn't pass anyone on your way up!"

Hermione smoothed her hair as best she could with her hands, and looked around. The room was very similar to the other dormitories, except for there being alot more portraits on the walls (all of them empty, save for one depicting a sleeping old wizard in silvery robes), and the ceiling was much higher. Harry inspected the windows, through which the outside was clearly visible, but the warm rays of the sun were blocked out. He looked at Cassius.

"Enchanted?" he asked, motioning to the window. She nodded.

"Yes, my dad and Dumbledore came up with the idea. The stones work like a two-way mirror...I can see out, but nobody can see in. It's main purpose is to keep the sun out," she explained.

"Blimey," Ron breathed, impressed. Looking around the room, his brow furrowed. "Where's your bird?"

Cassius turned to him, smiling. "You mean the raven Harry has been seeing?"

"Yeah, that's the one. The crazy night bird."

Cassius raised an eyebrow at him. "Right here," she said, and folded her arms in front of her chest. As they watched, astonished, her body changed very rapidly, growing smaller and taking the form of a bird. Within seconds, a tiny, black raven was flying around the room.

"You're an animagus!" exclaimed Hermione. The bird came to a landing on the bench at the end of the bed, and Cassius transformed back into her human self.

"That I am, of sorts. But not by my own accord, mind you. It's an inherited trait..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked slightly troubled as she turned to look out the window longingly.

Harry stepped toward her, quite taken with her beauty, and finding a strong urge to comfort her, to make her problems just disappear, asked gently, "So, why are you kept here? Why are you a secret from the rest of us? What is it that could be misunderstood?"

Cassius bit her lip, thinking. Taking a shaky breath, she asked, "If I tell you guys, do you promise not to get all freaked out about it?" They all nodded, and with another shuddering breath, she began:

"Your Professor Snape is not my father by birth. He raised me, from the time I was four years old, and I consider him to be my dad. I love him very much. When he took me in...Well, he rescued me, really." Pausing for a moment, she bit her lip, and looked around at the three of them. "Have you ever heard of the Villdawick vampires?"

When the others nodded silently (Hermione gave a slight shudder, and Ron wrapped an arm around her waist), she continued.

"Well, when I was a baby, my father...er, I mean, my REAL father...did something that provoked their taste for revenge. So they broke into our home, attacked my mum, and stole me away from my father, and kept me. They used me as a regular source of fresh blood, keeping me alive and using me as a slave. They forced me to work in a dingy little tavern that they owned, cleaning tables and sweeping the floor. When my dad...Professor Snape, that is...found me, he recognized me nearly straight away, somehow, and took me out of there the following morning, while the Vills were sleeping.

"He tried to return me to my real father, but the man refused to take me in, even though he claimed he was happy to see me again, alive, after so long. So I was brought here, to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore felt it would be best if I were kept here, close to Professor Snape.

"Some weeks went by, and I was doing quite well. The teachers all loved me - still do, mind you, and I them as well - and my dad had grown more attached and devoted to me than any of the others had ever imagined possible..."

She broke off, looking down at her hands. With a little sniff and a swipe of her hand, she brushed a tear away from her eye, and went on.

"One day, while playing outside at Hagrid's, I had my first reaction to the sun. The rays hit me, and I just..._burned_. Hagrid has told me many times since then that it was as if I was on fire, but there were no flames. Just alot of smoke. He rushed me back up here to the school, and I was in the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey healed my burns right away. But I remained unconscious for three days. My dad didn't leave my side once the entire time, but to go to the bathroom. He even slept in a chair beside my bed, according to Madam Pomfrey.

"On the evening that I woke up, Dumbledore had come to check on my progress. He and Daddy had a talk about me, and what had happened, and Dumbledore said he believed that the Vills' constant feeding on me had caused me to change gradually. He told my dad that as long as I am alive, I will never fully be a vampire, never acquire the bloodthirst, but I will have some of their traits, like the sensitivity to the sun, and the ability to transform into an animal...among other things. He said there is the possibility that one day, the Vills will come looking for me, to finish the job, so to speak, to make me one of them. For that reason mainly, they agreed that it would be best to keep my presense a secret from the students. And so, for the past eleven years, I've roamed these halls at night, attended after-hour lessons once I got old enough, and spent my days hidden away in my secret tower room, all alone, except for visits from Daddy, Professor McGonagall, and Dumbledore. And, on occassion, good old Hagrid."

The others were silent, too stunned to speak. Harry's heart ached for his new friend, and from the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces, they were feeling the same way.

Blinking back her tears, Cassius looked at the clock in the corner and forced a smile.

"Listen to me, blubbering away like a dunderhead. I've wasted too much of your time...You'd best be going, or you all will be late for your next class." Getting to her feet, she crossed the room and tapped the doorknob with her wand. She held the door open for them, then, biting her lip, said softly, "I hope I haven't upset you all. It's really my concern, not yours. Don't think on it, it's not a big deal. But, please - remember, don't say anything to anyone about our meeting!"

The others nodded, and filed out into the hallway. Harry turned back just as she was closing the door.

"Cassius?"

She stopped, and looked up, straight into his eyes. His breath caught in his throat, and he barely managed to say, "Can we meet again?"

Cassius nodded. "Yes, later. I'll contact you when I prepare to head for my lessons. We'll set a time then. Now, off you go." She smiled. "Let me know what McGonagall has in store for me with that exam, will you? I want to be as ready for it as possible..."

With that, she closed the door, and they watched the hole in the wall fade away, leaving them standing in the darkness.

* * *

**Poor Cassius, talk about teen angst...Next chapter soon...**

**~SP**


	11. Chapter 10 :: Dangerous Destiny

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

**

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**

"I can't believe it," whispered Hermione, staring at the wall where the door had been just a moment ago. Her eyes wide, she shook her head gently.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "It's bloody horrid, all that she's had to put up with...I'd have gone mental being hidden off like that--"

"Sshh!" Harry hissed suddenly, listening. They quieted, and a moment later, the sound he hadn't been certain he'd heard came again - footsteps, moving quickly and lightly up the stairs. "Hurry!" Harry whispered urgently. They bunched together in the corner, and Harry threw the cloak over them once again.

Snape stepped up onto the landing, and, each of their mouths clamped tightly shut as they held their breath, they watched him stride over to the wall where the door had been. Tapping it three times with his wand, he stepped back and waited for Cassius to open the door. She smiled when she saw him, and stood aside to let him in.

Harry, moving fast, took the cloak with him and hurried through the door into the room just as Cassius was closing it, leaving Ron and Hermione exposed on the landing. Her eyes on Snape as he moved to look through the enchanted window on the far wall, Cassius closed the door and tapped the knob with her wand, sealing the wall outside. Harry crept silently into the corner by the wardrobe to watch as Cassius moved to take Snape's hands when he turned from the window and held them out for her. Standing on her toes, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, and Snape smiled down at her.

"I was hoping you'd be awake, little love. I was thinking perhaps we could go over your notes for Professor McGonagall's exam," he said.

She eyed him with playful suspicion. "Is that the only reason you came up to visit?"

Snape pursed his lips and shook his head. "You know me too well, Cassius, my dear. No, I also came to rid your room of that pesky poltergeist, in case he happened to be here."

Cassius laughed, her icy blue eyes sparkling. "I should have known. I haven't seen Peeves all day, though. He probably got his fill of torturing me yesterday."

Snape nodded, satisfied. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked, looking around.

"Actually, I did. I had a couple of sandwiches just a little while ago."

"Very good. Now, then. Let's study, shall we?" he said, moving toward the desk by the wardrobe - barely a foot away from where Harry stood, hidden beneath his cloak. Cassius watched her father, but her eyes flickered over suddenly to land on Harry. With a slight jump that Snape didn't see, she hurried over to place herself between him and Harry.

"Really, Daddy, I don't need to study much more," she said quickly, her voice a little louder than normal. "I've been up all morning going over my notes again and again." He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Besides," she added with a smile, forcing her tone back to normal, "I'm awfully tired. I think maybe I should get some sleep before sundown comes..."

"Are you feeling alright, little love?" Snape asked, a faint note of concern - _or suspicion?_ Harry thought - in his voice. He took a step toward her, and Cassius followed with a step backward, closer to Harry.

"Oh, yes, Daddy, I'm quite fit!" she replied, nodding enthusiastically.

Snape looked at her for a moment, his black eyes narrowed and scrutinizing, but with a faint sigh of resignation, he turned to look out the window. Cassius reached behind her quickly and delivered a sharp pinch to Harry's stomach, making him suck in his breath and bite back a cry of pain.

"Very well, then," Snape said, still looking out the window at the cloudy sky. "It looks rather dark out there today, I fear tomorrow will be more so. If you like, you may go out during the day and visit your Centaur friends in the forest. But only if it is safe, and as long as you remember the rule..."

"I know, I know...I must be the raven to pass through school grounds..." Cassius said, a little sadly. Snape, hearing her tone, turned and looked at her, an apologetic expression on his thin face. He reached out and pulled her to him in a warm embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, little love. But you know how dangerous it could be if you were seen by any of the students. There's just too much risk involved..." he said softly.

"I know," Cassius said, sounding a little sadder.

Snape stepped back away from her, his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "I just don't want to chance the word getting out that you are here. It could be disastrous. You know that they are most likely looking for you, especially now, so close to your sixteenth birthday. Cassius, it's just too dangerous." He pulled her into another embrace, visibly tighter than the last, and added with a slightly desperate tone, "I just can't bear to think of anything ever happening to you. I couldn't stand to live if I lost you."

Cassius lay her head on his shoulder and sniffed, nodding slowly. "I know, Daddy. I'll be careful. I promise."

Snape stepped back again, looking into her face, and gave a warm smile. "Now, I will go, and leave you to yourself for the day. I will see you tonight for your lesson. Try to get some sleep in the meantime, little love." She nodded again, and went to tap the doorknob with her wand. Opening the door, she smiled at him as he left.

As soon as Snape disappeared from view and she knew he was well out of earshot, Cassius sealed the door, and rushed across the room toward Harry, her eyes blazing. She yanked the cloak off of him, and threw it on the bed.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" she shouted, her voice shaking.

"I-I'm sorry, Cassius..." Harry sputtered, looking down at his feet. "I don't know what made me do that...Curiosity, I suppose..."

"Yes, well, curiosity killed the cat," she raged, pacing furiously back and forth in front of him. "It's a right good thing your friends were wise enough to hurry out of here before they were seen! Do you have any idea how much trouble there would have been if my father had caught you in here?!"

"I know...I'm so sorry...I didn't want you to get into any trouble..."

"ME?! I'm not worried one lick about me, you bloody git! It's YOU that I don't want getting into trouble!"

Harry looked up at her, unsure of what to say. She stared back at him.

"What?" she snapped.

Harry spoke softly, concern in his voice. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Are they...are the Vills...are they really looking for you?"

Cassius' face softened, and she nodded. "Most likely, yes. Once I am sixteen, I have enough strength to become a very powerful vampire. My birthday is in just a couple of weeks, so the guard is up around here, more so than usual. As you saw, my dad is very worried."

Harry looked at her, his heart gripped in fear for her. "Can't they just be stopped?"

She shook her head. "The Vills are too powerful, the only way to avoid them is to just...hide," she said, sounding sad again.

"Cassius..." Harry began, but found he couldn't finish.

She turned from him, her head down. "You can't imagine...It's so hard...Sometimes I wish they would just come and take me away, but the thought of leaving here, leaving my dad, and Hagrid, and the others...I just can't bear it..." Her voice cracked, and she sat on the bench at the end of the bed, her head still down, her hands clasped in her lap, her shoulders shaking. Harry stepped out in front of her and knelt down, placing his hands over hers. She looked up at him, and he saw that she was crying, tears streaming down her lovely face. His heart ached seeing her this way.

"I'll never be normal, Harry. I'll never get to walk outside during the day and enjoy the sunlight on my face. I'll never be able to look in a mirror and see myself. I'll never get the chance to be in the stands with the other students, watching a game of Quidditch, or go to the Great Hall and enjoy the feasts with everyone. I'll never be able to not be afraid..." She broke off into a sob, covering her face with her hands.

Harry leaned forward and tentatively put his arms around her, running his hand up and down her back. She laid her head on his shoulder and sobbed quietly. Before realizing what he was doing, Harry placed a gentle kiss on her head, and whispered, "It'll be okay, Cassius. I'll help you. We'll figure out something, together, and Ron and Hermione, too...We're your friends, now...You're not alone anymore...It's alright..."

She reluctantly pulled away from him, looking into his eyes. "It's too dangerous, Harry..."

He brushed a fresh tear off of her cheek. "I don't care. I've faced danger before, and won...most of the time," he said, almost as an afterthought.

Wiping her face with her hand, she gave a small smile. "Most of the time? Not all the time?" she asked, sounding a little more cheerful, teasing.

"Well, even I have my faults," Harry replied, smiling back.

Cassius, appearing to feel better, looked at her clock, and jumped, her eyes widening.

"Oh, Harry! You're late! You'd better go, now!!!" she exclaimed, and hurried him out of the room before he could even think of a reason to stall.

Watching the door disappear again, Harry turned and hurried down the stairs, through the common room, and out through the portrait hole, where he collided with something. Or rather, with someONE - Dumbledore.

The wise old wizard looked down at him over his half-moon spectacles, his thick, snowy eyebrows lifted in an amused smile. "Running late, are we, Harry?"

Harry struggled to come up with an excuse. "I...er...fell asleep...I didn't mean to, sir, really..."

Dumbledore chuckled. "No worries there, Harry. Come, I will walk with you to your class."

They were silent the entire way, until they reached the hall where the Transfiguration classroom was located.

"You know, Harry...Sometimes the best-kept secrets," began Dumbledore, looking at him with a twinkle in his eye, "are better off revealed to those who can do something about them."

Harry swallowed, his stomach feeling as though it dropped down to his knees. He looked up at Dumbledore, afraid to say anything.

The wise old Headmaster smiled kindly. "I believe you and your friends will be the ones to achieve things that some have attempted to do for many years."

Harry, still unable to speak, only nodded. When they arrived at the door to the classroom, Dumbledore addressed McGonagall on the other side of the room.

"Professor McGonagall, I must apologize for Mr. Potter's tardiness. He was helping me find a solution to a rather perplexing problem," he said. McGonagall didn't look pleased, but nodded.

"Very well, Headmaster. Take your seat, Potter. The exam has already started, you can stay after class is through to complete yours," she said, motioning Harry to his place. Harry, glancing up at Dumbledore with surprise, hurried to take his seat beside Ron. His friend looked at him with anticipation.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered to Ron, and picked up his quill to begin his test.

* * *

**I'll post up the next chapter in the morning, I need sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep...XD**

**Reviews are welcomed =)**

**~SP**


	12. Chapter 11 :: Rainy Days

**Sorry for the wait, I just got a new computer and finally got everything set up =) Will add more to this over the next few days...**

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

* * *

The following afternoon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way through the rain to Hagrid's hut, having recieved a message from Cassius that morning through the Thought Sender, telling them to be there for lunch. Harry had filled the others in on what had taken place in Cassius' room the day before, after he had followed Snape back in. Both had shaken their heads sadly, and Hermione had actually begun to cry silently while Harry repeated what Cassius had said about never being normal. The three of them decided to put their heads together and find a way to help their new friend, agreeing not to give up until they had found a solution.

They arrived at the hut, and Hagrid appeared a little more than surprised to see them there.

"Not really a good time, kids, sorry 'bout that, come back la-" he started to say, when a tiny raven flew past him out the door, and came to a landing on Harry's shoulder. The bird nipped at his hair, and looked at Hagrid. The half-giant's eyes widened with a sudden look of worry. The bird fluttered its wings and winked at him, again taking a shot at Harry's hair, and Hagrid nodded slowly, still looking perplexed.

"Right, then," he said, holding the door open for them. "I s'pose yer may as well c'mon in." They filed in, and he shut the door quickly, checking to make sure no one was around.

The raven flew from Harry's shoulder to the bed, where it landed softly, and seemed to bow down. A moment later, Cassius appeared in its place. Hagrid, his face twisted in confusion and fear, hurried over to stand right in front of her.

"What in the name of Dumbledore's hat do you think yer doing, Cassius?! Have you gone _nutters_??" he nearly shouted, his deep voice echoing off the walls of the hut. Hermione flinched, but Cassius merely smiled up at him.

"It's alright, Hagrid. They won't tell anyone about me. I trust them," she said sweetly, turning her smile on Ron, who stood nearby. Ron blushed, a silly grin spreading across his face, and Hermione poked him hard in the ribs.

"How are you doing, Cassius?" Harry asked, sitting in one of the chairs around the large table in the center of the single room. Cassius sat across from him, and folded her hands on the table between them.

"I'm alright. Feeling a little better, especially at the moment. It's not often I get to venture out during the day," she answered cheerfully. "But," she added, "I figured meeting here would be a considerable bit safer than my room."

"WHAT?!" Hagrid bellowed. "THEY'VE SEEN YER ROOM?"

Cassius frowned up at him. "Calm down, Uncle. Yes, they've seen it. Been inside it, too, I might add. And besides, you knew that Harry was going to find out. He had seen the window. He'd asked you about it. Remember?"

Hagrid appeared to deflate a little, calming down. He dropped heavily into a third chair, and sighed. "That I do. But all the same, little love, this is dangerous. Why, if yer father were to find out--"

"He won't. Nobody in this room is going to say anything to him. Are you?" she said matter-of-factly, looking around at all of them.

"Of course not," Hermione answered. "We want to help Cassius, Hagrid. Not cause trouble."

"Help?" Hagrid asked, looking utterly confused. "With what?"

"We want to find a way to make her more...human," said Ron slowly, easing into the last chair, and pulling Hermione into his lap. "More like us."

Hagrid looked around at them, disbelieving. "But Professor Snape and Dumbledore have been lookin' for years, trying ter find a way ter...cure her - nearly twelve years, in fact - and haven't been able ter come up with anythin'. What makes you all think yer goin' ter be able ter figure somethin' out?"

"I don't know," said Harry. "But we're sure going to try." Harry could feel Cassius looking closely at him, and for a moment it felt as though her icy blue eyes were penetrating him, seeing straight through him, into his very soul. He looked over at her, and when their eyes met, he smiled. She returned the smile with a beautiful one of her own.

"I have a question, Cassius," said Hermione, sitting up in Ron's lap, her elbow resting on the table. "This may sound thick, but how is it that you could see us under the Invisibility Cloak?"

Cassius laughed. "Another lovely trait, inherited from the Villdawicks. My senses are extremely heightened. I can see an ant climbing up the wall from across the Great Hall, hear a pin drop in the next room, and smell...things...long after they've gone. Now, mind you, that is one sense I would have _no_ problem giving up," she said, making a face. "I tell you, one whiff of my dad's old socks is all it would take to make you rue your sense of smell." The others laughed.

Hagrid suddenly burst into a wide grin, slapping a heavy hand on the table, making the kids jump.

"Ya won' believe how good it is ter see ya laughin' with friends yer own age, little love!" he exclaimed, all of his anger seeming to have vanished. He beamed at Cassius, who looked happily around at Ron, Hermione, and Harry. "All these years, kept to yerself...Couldn' bear to think abou' it at times, ya know..."

Cassius fixed her smile on him. "It feels great, Hagrid. Would you mind terribly..." Her voice trailed off wistfully. Hagrid raised his eyebrows at her, and she continued. "Could we meet here, on days like this? You know, when I can actually go out?"

Hagrid nodded enthusiastically. "Of course ya can! To risky for yer lot ter be meetin' in that room of yers, this is much safer. 'Cept for Dumbledore, none of the teachers bother ter really come out here all that often. Less chance of ya gettin' caught here." He sat back in the chair. "So, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" asked Ron.

"Ya know, for helpin' our Cassius."

"Oh...well, we haven't really got one yet...I don't think?"

"Not yet," supplied Hermione. "I think the best place to start would be in the Library."

"For once, Hermione, I think you may be wrong," Harry said. "If it were as simple as finding something in a book, I'm sure Snape or Dumbledore would have found it already."

Hermione looked dejected. "Well, what do you suggest then?"

"Wait a minute," interrupted Ron. "I think Hermione might be on the right track." The others looked at him quizzically. "Cassius is a Villdawick, right?"

"Part Vill," said Cassius, pointedly.

"Yeah, sorry," Ron said, casting an apologetic smile her way. "PART Villdawick. So, why don't we read up on the history of the Vills? I'm sure there has to be a book about it somewhere..."

"And if there is, it might hold a clue to what we can do!" cried Hermione, getting excited. "Oh, Ron! That's positively BRILLIANT!" She threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his freckled cheek.

"Well," said Hagrid. "I s'pose it could be worth a try..."

"Worth a try?" cried Cassius, jumping out of her seat, and clapping her hands together excitedly. "Of course it's worth a try! Oh, please promise you'll let me know straight away if you find anything?"

"We will," said Harry, getting to his feet. "Definately. Keep the Thought Sender on you. I'll contact you as soon as we've found a book."

Cassius nodded, and Hagrid looked around at them, confused again. "Harry has a Thought Sender?" he asked Cassius. She laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"A long story, Uncle," she said. "I wound up with a spare, and passed it on to him."

Hermione rose and smoothed the front of her robes. "We'd better be getting back, it looks as though this storm is going to be getting worse very soon," she said, looking out the window at the approaching clouds, much darker than the ones that were already overhead.

"You all head on. I'll wait a few minutes, then head out myself. It would be better if we don't arrive at the same time, even if we are going to different places," Cassius said.

Harry nodded. "Good thinking. Let's get a move on, guys. Thanks, Hagrid. We really appreciate your letting us meet here."

Hagrid waved a large hand at him. "Don' even think on it. I'm just too happy ter see our little love with friends."

Placing a hand on Cassius' arm as he passed her, Harry smiled at her. "I'll be in touch soon."

Cassius smiled back at him, her eyes sparkling happily. "I'll be waiting."


	13. Chapter 12 :: Written In History

**Yep, I'm a slacker. Or, so it seems. Actually, I have so much going on throughout the day that I gotta pinch to find time to sit and edit up a chapter to get it ready for publishing, lol -- such is the life of a stay-at-home-mom to a 14-month-old, huh? Anywho, to make up for my lack of regular updates, I grant you now with not one, not _two_, but FOUR new chapters, and more to come later tonight...Enjoy!**

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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_

Hermione dropped a large stack of books on the table and sat down, pulling the top book down and opening it.

"Now, remember," she said to Ron and Harry, who were seated across from her, flipping through books of their own. "We can't just look up vampires. We have to be specific. Every breed is different."

"We know," said Ron, sounding exasperated.

"Hermione, we've been through almost every book in the library already. None of them said a word about breeds," said Harry, who was growing a bit desperate as he eyed the stack she had just brought over. They had already been there for nearly three hours, searching book after book, and coming up with nothing, not even a mention of the name Villdawick. "I don't think we're going to find anything."

"We can't give up, Harry!" Hermione said anxiously.

"I'm not suggesting that we do! I just think we need to focus our attention elsewhere to find the answers we're loo--"

"Oy! Lookit here!" exclaimed Ron, causing Madame Pince, the librarian, to cast a dirty look in his direction. He threw her an apologetic smile, and lowered his voice, leaning forward in his seat to address his friends more closely. "Look what I just found in '_Evil Through The Ages: A History of the Vampire Species_'!"

He set the book down on the table, and turned it so they could see. Harry read the first line:

_There are many different forms (breeds) if vampires, the most dangerous being the one known as the Villdawick._

"Ron, you've got it!" Hermione whispered excitedly, and Harry hurriedly pulled the Thought Sender out of his pocket.

Pressing his thumb to it, he shouted in his mind: "CASSIUS!"

A moment later, Cassius' voice answered, sounding sleepy. "Hmm? Harry?"

"Cassius, we may have found something! Listen to this..." Leaning back to the book, he read in his mind:

_"The Villdawick vampires are considered to be the most dangerous of all vampire breeds because of their extreme brutality,  
which surpasses the other breeds for the fact that the Villdawicks don't attack single-handedly. Instead, they meet their victims  
in packs, often five or six of them feeding at once. An attack by a group of Villdawicks means almost certain death, as they  
rarely feel the desire to make more of their own kind. They have a tendency to hold grudges, and anyone - living or  
non-living - who crosses them is guaranteed to have to suffer the consequences. The families of the wrong-doers often  
fall victims as well, as the Villdawicks will spare no mercy on the innocent to make sure that they get the revenge that they seek."_

"That must be why they took me," said Cassius' voice. Harry continued:

_"There are two characteristics of the Villdawick vampires that is unlike any other vampire breed ever known. One is that instead of  
remaining the same as they are when they are turned, as time goes by their bodies age, just as a living human body does, though the process is greatly restrained, with one decade of human time equalling a year for a Villdawick. They  
become old and decrepit, and eventually grow too weak to take part in the hunt for food. At this point, they are sent to what is known  
as the 'Pit of Elders', a cavern many feet underground that spans across most of the Earth. If a hole were dug deep enough, the Pit,  
and its inhabitants, many of them rotted away to mere skeletons that walk still, never granted death, could be seen. When the  
younger, healthier Villdawicks have finished with their own feeding, they will dig down until the Pit is reached, and drop their scraps in  
for the Elders to finish off. As there is never enough food to satisfy all of the Elders, this makes them even more deadly than the  
hunters. If a living thing were to happen upon an entrance to the Pit, and fall in, it would mean certain death, even if they survived the fall."_

Harry stopped for a moment, shuddering. Hermione, who had finished reading, was staring at him with large, frightened eyes from across the table.

"Harry?" came Cassius' voice, slightly quieter than before, and sounding worried. "Are you still there?"

Swallowing, he replied, "Yes, I'm here..."

"Please...go on..."

Harry read on:

_"The other unique characteristic is their loyalty to their own. The Villdawicks are very protective of those that share their blood, and will  
go to any lengths to protect each other from harm. They will put themselves at great risk, even sacrifice their own lives, to save one of  
their own. The bloodline runs thick for the Villdawicks, family values an instinct that no other breed of vampire has ever shown. They  
are extremely loyal to one another, and, as mentioned before, will go to any and all lengths to prevent harm, or death, from befalling  
one of their brethren."_

"That was it, Cassius," Harry thought forlornly.

"That was it?!" her voice cried, sounding distressed. "How can that be it? It doesn't really tell us anything! There has to be more, there just has to!"

"I'm sorry, Cassius," Harry replied, his heart feeling as though it had sunk down to his knees. "We've looked through every other book on vampires in the Library...that's all we've found..."

Cassius was silent. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who were watching him.

"I don't think she's taking it too well," he told them sadly. Ron closed his eyes and shook his head, Hermione laid her head down on her arms, her shoulders shaking. Ron reached over and rubbed her back, but the look on his face told Harry that he felt like doing the same thing.

"Cassius?" Harry called out to her. "Have you gone?"

A moment later, Cassius' suddenly tired, dejected voice replied, "No, Harry. I'm still here."

Desperately, Harry thought, "Listen, we're going to Hogsmeade this weekend. We can look in the book shop there, maybe we'll find something else--"

"No, no. Don't bother. I'm afraid there's nothing to be done. It's alright, really it is. I've lived this way for this long. I can go on. I can deal with it," she said, the tone of her voice making Harry feel worse than he already did. She sounded terrible, like someone who had lost all hope.

"Look, Harry," she continued, her voice picking up a bit, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm going to go for a bit, I need to rest before my lessons tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

Biting his lip, he asked, "Are you going to be alright?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'll talk you later," she answered, and her voice disappeared.

Harry looked down at the stone in his hand, wishing there was more that he could say to her.


	14. Chapter 13 :: Down In A Hole

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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Harry spent the rest of that day thinking about Cassius. He couldn't seem to get the lost tone of her voice out of his mind.

_I'm afraid there's nothing to be done._

Hearing her say those words made him feel as though he himself was lost, and nothing could bring him back.

*****

The next morning, Harry had made sure that the Thought Sender was tucked safely into his pocket, anxious to hear her voice and know that she was, indeed, alright. All throughout the day, he kept reaching in and pressing his thumb to it, hoping to catch her thought.

When lunchtime came, and still no word from Cassius, Harry began to worry. Surely, she hadn't forgotten that she'd said she would contact him. He snuck up to her room, but there was no answer when he tapped the wall.

Heading toward the Great Hall to join in the feast, though he had no kind of appetite, Harry ran into Hagrid.

"Alrigh' there, Harry! Lovely day, isn't it?" Hagrid said happily, smiling.

Harry looked out at the courtyard, the birds that were flying around the great statue in the center, and thought of Cassius again. He didn't even try to smile as he replied, "Yeah, I suppose so."

Hagrid wrinkled his brow, a look of concern crossing his face. "Anythin' wrong? Ya look like yer just lost yer best friend."

Harry flinched slightly at the words, and looked up at the half-giant. "Hagrid, have you heard from Ca -- from _her_ today?"

Hagrid shook his head. "No, I haven'. She's not in her room, I take it?"

It was Harry's turn to shake his head. "I don't think so. She didn't answer when I knocked."

"Well, ya know," Hagrid said quietly, "she goes into the Forbidden Forest quite often at night, an' a couple of times she's not made it back out before the sun came up, and had ter hide in a cave or summat like tha'. I wouldn' be surprised if that's where she is righ' now."

"But why wouldn't she try to contact me? She said she would..."

"I can' tell ya that, Harry. Maybe she's jus' sleepin'. Now, then. Comin' ter lunch?" Hagrid said, smiling again.

Harry looked out over the courtyard again. "I'll be there in a minute. I want to go and...get a book from my room."

Hagrid eyed him suspiscously. "Don' go doin' anythin' stupid, now, Harry. You don' want ter get into any trouble. I'm sure Cas -- _she_ is jus' fine," he said, and headed off in the direction of the Great Hall.

Harry watched a large black bird peck at the ground near the statue. "I don't know about that, Hagrid," he said to himself.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Harry hurried out across the courtyard and down the path to Hagrid's hut. At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he took his wand out and held it tightly before walking determinedly into the thick brush. He stopped occassionally to look inside the hollows of some of the large trees, and even moved a couple of large rocks, searching for her raven form, but found no sign of her.

Then he noticed something - a place in the ground where the fallen leaves seemed to dip down lower than the rest. Crouching beside the spot, he stuck out his wand and poked it.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Potter?" a cruel voice behind him said loudly, making his heart leap into his throat. He spun around, and found Malfoy, standing barely a foot away from him. For a change, there was no trace of Malfoy's goons, Crabbe and Goyle, anywhere in sight.

Malfoy stepped closer to Harry, leering. "Oh, you're going to be in so much trouble now, my friend. Once I tell Dumbledore where you've been--"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said irritably. "Can't you mind your own business for even a second?"

Malfoy's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. He let out a quick bark of a laugh. "You dare talk to a prefect that way? Oh, you're a brave one," he said menacingly,

Harry narrowed his eyes at him. "Go on, then. Run and tell on me, why don't you? Or are you realizing that you are going to be in just as much trouble as me for being out here yourself? Just like the _last_ time you tried to turn me in for being someplace I shouldn't have been. Remember that?"

Malfoy gaped at him. "What are you talking about? That was completely different, there was a _dragon_ you prats and that big oaf were mucking with! And besides, I can't get in trouble..."

Harry laughed. "Oh, right. You're a prefect. The closest thing to _perfect_ that you're ever going to be..."

Malfoy snarled and charged at Harry, but Harry ducked out of the way. Malfoy attempted to whirl around to lunge once more, but when his foot hit the dip of leaves, it went straight through, and he began to fall. On the way down, he screamed, rather like a girl, and grabbed Harry's robes, pulling Harry down with him.

They finally hit the bottom of the hole, quite a ways down. Looking up, the opening above them looked tiny in the distance.

Malfoy, having hit the ground first, Harry landing on top of him, groaned, and pushed the other boy off roughly. Trying to move, he let out another scream.

"Are you alright, Malfoy?" Harry asked, pulling out his wand and saying quickly, "LUMOS!".

The cavern lit up, and Harry looked down to see Malfoy's leg twisted at an odd angle.

"I think it's broken," Malfoy squeaked, grimacing from the pain.

"Oh, yeah," Harry said, nodding. "It's definately broken. Here, let me look at it..." He knelt down beside Malfoy, but was pushed roughly away again.

"Get away from me, Potter! It's your fault this has happened! When I get out of here--"

"Really now? And how exactly are you planning on doing that?" Harry asked angrily. Malfoy was suddenly very silent, his eyes wide with fright. "Oh, don't look so worried, you ninny. We'll find a way out of here. Now, let me look at your leg..."

Harry started to move closer to Malfoy's broken limb, when he noticed that Malfoy wasn't even looking at him anymore. His wide eyes were focused on the other side of the cavern. Harry turned to look, and saw what he was looking at - there was something moving in the shadows.

Cassius stepped out into the light that was coming from the wand.

"Harry! What on earth are you doing out here?!" she cried.

Harry let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and closed his eyes in relief.

"Thank goodness it's you. I was so worried--"

"Who the devil are you?!" Malfoy shouted. "Potter! What's going on here? Who is this girl? What is she doing down in this...this..."

"OH, SHUT UP!" Harry shouted at him, turning back to Cassius. "Are you alright, Cassius? Why didn't you call me?"

"I'm fine, Harry, I just didn't make it out of the Forest in time, I had to come down here to wait for nightfall," she replied, her voice softening. "I left my Thought Sender in my room, didn't expect to be stuck out here all this time. I'm sorry I made you worry, but you shouldn't have come out here, Harry! It's too dangerous in this forest!"

"I wasn't thinking about how dangerous it is, I was too afraid that you may have been hurt or something, I had to come look for you..."

"Er, excuse me, but would somebody please tell me what the bloody hell is going on here?!" Malfoy insisted.

Cassius' eyes fell on him, and widened at the sight of his leg. She dropped to her knees at his side.

"Draco, you're hurt! We have to get you out of here and straight to Madam Pomfrey," she said quickly.

Malfoy looked thoroughly confused. "How do you know my name?"

Not answering, she got to her feet, and looked around the cavern. "How are we going to do this..." she muttered, talking to Harry. "It's too far for you to climb, and even if you could, it would be dreadfully hard to carry Draco up with you..."

"How do you know my name?" Malfoy asked again, but she continued to ignore him.

Suddenly, Harry saw her eyes widen again, and she looked up at the entrance to the cavern.

"Maybe..." she said softly.

Harry knew right away what was going through her mind, and he rushed forward and grabbed her arms. She looked at him.

"NO...WAY...CASSIUS, I won't let you, it's way too dangerous," he said sternly, but she pulled away from him, looking back up at the entrance.

"If I went really fast..." She seemed to be calculating in her head for a moment, then looked at Harry, a look of certainty on her face. "I can do it," she said, nodding quickly.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I won't let you! It's far too--"

She cut him off, taking his hand. "Harry, Draco is seriously hurt, and if you all stayed down here until nightfall, he would just be worse off. It's the only way, and you know it. Please, don't worry," she said gently, looking deep into his eyes. He stared at her for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. She gave him her most beautiful smile. "I'll be back quick as a flash, you'll see. Don't worry!"

With that, she jumped into the air, and in a motion so swift that Harry could barely see it, changed into the raven and took off for the entrance to the cavern, leaving the boys to watch her go.

Malfoy sat, looking up at Harry, the confused expression still on his face.

"How does she know my name?" he asked Harry, who just shrugged in response.

_Please be safe, Cassius_, Harry thought to himself.


	15. Chapter 14 :: Revealed

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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Cassius burst through the entrance to the cavern and flew through the trees in the direction of Hagrid's hut. Her raven's eyes could see clearly the place where the shaded protection of the Forest ended, and the sun beamed down on the open field, but she didn't slow her pace. Instead, when she reached the edge of the Forest, she lowered her head and beat her wings harder, going as fast as she could across the field and over the hill.

The sun's rays brought searing pain, and her feathers began to smoke horribly as she pushed herself to go faster and faster. She ignored the burning feeling that was overtaking her body, and soared over the courtyard, turning down so that she was heading straight for the entrance to the school.

She transformed back into her human self in mid-air, and hit the ground running, leaving a trail of thick gray smoke behind her as she hurried down the main corridor toward the dungeons. She nearly ran straight through the door to the Potions classroom, sending it flying open with a crash, and ran past the students who had turned to stare at her, wide-eyed with surprised fright. She went to Snape, who had been standing at the front of the class, giving another of his long lectures, and threw her blistered body into his arms.

"Daddy! Daddy, you have to come! Draco's hurt, we need to get him out of there straight away!" she cried, taking his hand and trying to pull him along to the door.

Snape looked at her, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock, fear, and anger. "Cassius! What are you doing here? What's going on? What are you talking about?"

Cassius shook her head desperately. "No time...have to go...need to save..." she struggled, growing weak with the agony that was coursing through her. Smoke was still rising off of her painfully reddened skin as she tried pulling Snape's hands harder.

He relented, and followed close behind her as she ran out of the room.

"CLASS DISMISSED!" he shouted on his way out, but none of the students moved. They were too confused to do anything but sit and look at each other.

In the hallway, Snape tried to get Cassius to tell him what was going on. "Have you lost your mind, girl? Out and about during the day, making yourself known to the students, and out in the SUN! Look at you! I need to get you to Madam Pomfrey..." He reached for her wrist, but she yanked her arm back and took a few faltering steps backward, away from him.

"NO!" she screamed. "Haven't you been listening to me?! Draco and Harry fell into the hole I was hiding in, and it's too deep for them to get out! Draco's leg is broken, and if we don't get him to the hospital wing as soon as possible, I'm afraid it will just get worse!" Snape merely gaped at her, so she grabbed his hand and tugged again. "Come on!"

He ran after her as she headed for the courtyard. As soon as the sun hit her skin the smoke began pouring off of her again, but she kept on, running up to the statue, planting a foot on it, leaping into the air, and taking the form of the raven again. She flew ahead, circling back every so often to make sure Snape was keeping up, and led him back to the place where the boys waited in the cavern.

She landed a few feet from the hole, once again human, and collapsed in a heap on the ground. Snape tore off his robes and quickly draped it over her, fanning the smoke away from his eyes. He dropped to his knees beside the hole, and peered in.

"POTTER! MALFOY!" he bellowed, his deep voice echoing in the cavern below.

"WE'RE HERE!" came Harry's reply.

A light filled the cavern from Harry's wand, and Snape could see them - Harry standing directly below, Malfoy sitting against the wall of the cavern, his face dripping with sweat, and looking quite confused.

"I'M GOING TO GET YOU OUT OF THERE," Snape yelled down to them, and with a wave of his wand, a rope appeared that dropped down the hole. "Potter, you climb up. I'll get Malfoy. Quickly, now!"

Harry hurried up the rope, finding it surprisingly easy to climb. Snape waved his wand again, and Malfoy's body lifted into the air. He cried out in pain as he was lifted, as if by invisible ropes or something similar, up and out of the hole. When both boys were out safely, Snape conjured up a stretcher and laid Malfoy on it. He then lifted Cassius up into his arms and glared at Harry, his eyes flashing with rage.

"Move fast, Potter. We don't have much time," he growled.


	16. Chapter 15 :: Best Kept Secrets

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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An hour later, Harry sat in Snape's office, waiting for the teacher to return with Dumbledore and McGonagall. It was a horrid feeling, being in this office again. The only other times he had ever been in here, just as it was at the moment, he had been in very deep trouble.

Looking around the office nervously, Harry saw something that he had never noticed before - three small, silver picture frames, strategically placed in one corner of Snape's desk so that all would be clearly visible from his large, leather chair. Harry strained his neck to see what the frames held.

In the frame closest to the edge was a photograph of a slightly younger Snape, in the middle of a room that Harry recognized as the Great Hall. A little black-haired girl was standing on his feet, her tiny hands clutching his. She was laughing, and he smiled adoringly down at her as he raised each foot, one by one, moving in a circular motion. They were dancing, and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The middle frame held the same girl, a few years older, a wide smile on her face. She was sitting on Snape's back in this photograph, as he crawled around on the floor and shook himself like a dog trying to dry off. He, too, was grinning happily.

Harry couldn't help but smile himself. Cassius had been a very pretty little girl, and very full of life, from what he could see.

The third photograph made Harry's heart stop for a moment, and his breath catch in his throat. It was Cassius, no more than two years before, looking almost exactly the same as she did at stood alone, leaning over a steaming cauldron, peering inside it. Once in a while, she would look up and wave, her icy blue eyes shining, her face breaking into a smile. She would wink, and then go back to her work.

Looking at the last photograph, Harry thought of her now, lying in a bed in the hospital wing, not yet awake after the horrible burns she had received in order to save him and Malfoy, who also occupied a bed in the hospital, kept overnight despite Madam Pomfrey's healing his leg already.

The door burst open just then, and Snape stormed in, followed by McGonagall. She looked almost as angry as Snape did.

"Mr. Potter, I am extremely disappointed in you! Skipping class, sneaking off into the Forbidden Forest...What were you thinking, young man? Do you realize how much danger you put yourself and Mr. Malfoy in by going into that Forest? Simply unbelievable, even for you!" McGonagall ranted, her face red with anger.

"I know, Professor, and I'm sorry," Harry said, looking down at his hands. "I was just worried about Cassius..."

"And yet another point!" McGonagall added, throwing her hands up in frustration. "You let your curiosity get the better of you yet again, and do you realize what may come of it?" Harry shook his head. "Our Cassius may very well be in grave danger now! I don't make it a point to mistrust my students, but you can never be sure who's out there, Mr. Potter, and if any one of them in that bunch that saw her belongs to a family working for the Vills, all it would take is one offhand comment to set those dreadful creatures on her trail! I will have to think long and hard about your punishment, Mr. Potter..."

"If I may, Professor," said Snape, his voice seething. "In a case as severe as this, and considering the danger he's caused for all involved, including _my daughter_, I demand that immediate expulsion be considered--"

"Now, now, Severus," came a voice from the doorway. Dumbledore stepped into the room, looking over his glasses at Snape as he entered. "Let's not be rash. I'm sure you both can understand that something like this was bound to happen."

"No, Headmaster," said Snape, sounding slightly taken aback. "If Potter had kept his nose out of business that was none of his concern, Cassius would be fine right now, in her room, sleeping. But such as it is--"

"Such as it is, she is lying awake in the hospital wing, quite confused, and asking for her father."

Snape fell silent, his eyes widening slightly.

"Go, Severus. Be with your daughter. She needs you now, very much," Dumbledore said gently. With a quick, seething glance at Harry, Snape hurried out of the room. "Now, then," Dumbledore said. "I figure you don't need anymore lectures than you've already recieved, Harry. I'm quite certain you know of the risks that you took, and the dangers you may have caused." With a look at McGonagall, he continued, "For the offense of skipping class and sneaking off into the Forbidden Forest, I think the appropriate punishment would be..."

Harry held his breath and closed his eyes, expecting the worst.

"...detention," finished Dumbledore.

"But what about Cassius? If not expulsion, than what punishment do you think is most suitable for what's happened to her?" asked McGonagall.

"Punishment? As I recall, Cassius was the one who chose to make her presence here known, in the determination to rescue Harry and young Draco Malfoy from a rather precarious situation. You want to punish Harry for something that Cassius did of her own accord?"

"But, Albus--"

"Our Cassius is a very strong-minded young lady, Minerva. And strong-willed. I doubt that Harry would be able to force her into doing something that she wasn't already planning to do herself. In fact," he added, looking down at Harry, "I doubt that Harry was even willing to allow Cassius to do such a thing."

Harry shook his head quickly. "I didn't want her to go, I tried to stop her, but she insisted..."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I'm sure that she did. As I said, she is quite a strong-willed young lady. Therefore, you, Harry, cannot be held responsible for her actions."

Harry took a deep breath and relaxed a little.

"Albus, are you certain this is the right way to go about it?" asked McGonagall.

Dumbledore looked at her. "Very certain, Minerva. Something like this was bound to happen eventually. Sometimes," he continued, winking at Harry, "even the best-kept secrets come out into the open."

McGonagall sighed. "Well, what should we do now, then?"

Dumbledore didn't hesitate when he answered, "What else can we do? Come morning, I will go and remove the charm from her bedroom door. And as soon as Madam Pomfrey declares her to be fit enough for it...Cassius will begin attending her lessons with the other students."


	17. Chapter 16 :: The Hospital Wing

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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The air in the hospital wing had a chill to it, but Cassius didn't even feel it. Her body still overly warm from her encounter with the sun, despite Madam Pomfrey's having healed the burns, she had kicked off her covers and lie there, staring silently up at the ceiling. A terrible ache seemed to overtake all of her muscles, making any kind of movement quite painful, but that wasn't surprising. She was fairly certain she'd pulled a muscle or two that she hadn't mentioned to Madam Pomfrey, but all things considered, the minor injuries were worth bearing.

The boys were safe. That was all that mattered.

She turned her head a couple of times and looked over at Malfoy, who was sound asleep two beds over. Once, not long after they had arrived in the hospital, she had looked over at him to find him staring back at her, still looking very confused. He had spoken to her, but she hadn't heard what he had said. She was still in too much pain at the time for anything to register.

Cassius jumped slightly when she heard the door open, and hurried footsteps coming in her direction. Lifting her head slightly, she forced a smile for Snape as he lowered himself carefully to sit on the edge of her bed. His face twisted with worry, he took her hand.

"Darling, how are you feeling?" he asked, and Cassius fought against a pang of guilt. He only ever called her "darling" when he was upset.

"Better," she replied, trying to smile. He lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a hard kiss on the back of it.

"I don't want you to worry, little love. I'm sure Dumbledore is giving that Potter boy exactly what he deserves--" he started.

Cassius, ignoring the pain that coursed through her body, sat straight up and looked him in the eye.

"What do you mean?!" she cried. "Harry's done nothing wrong!"

"Nothing wrong?!" snorted Snape. "That boy is responsible for your being in here, for Malfoy's being in here, and, worst of all, for our secret being revealed to those students! By now, word must have spread about your appearance. No doubt the entire school knows. This is disastrous!"

"Why?" Cassius demanded, growing angry. "Why is it disastrous?"

"Calm down, Cassius--"

"I _won't_! Tell me why this is such a disaster!"

Snape looked her straight in the eye. "Because you could be in very great danger now."

"So?" Cassius retorted. "Dumbledore said that the Vills are bound to find me here anyway, no matter what. That is, if they even bother to come looking for me in the first place."

"Of course they'll come looking," said Snape heatedly. "You'll be too valuable to them to just be forgotten."

"Well, in that case," she started, trying to sound calm, "don't you think it would be better, safer, the more people I know? The more friends I have?"

"I DON'T WANT YOU FRIENDS WITH THAT POTTER BOY!" Snape bellowed, his anger rising.

Cassius' own temper flared. "OH, COME OFF IT, DAD!"

Malfoy groaned in his sleep, stirring a bit. Cassius lowered her voice.

"You don't want me to be friends with anybody," she said.

"That's not true!" said Snape, a note of defensiveness present.

"Daddy," Cassius said gently, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. "I love you, and I'd never go against you. You know that. Except in this case..."

"Cassius--"

She held up a hand, stopping him.

"Just listen. Please," she pleaded. Snape nodded, and, lying back against her pillow, she continued. "When I lived with the Vills, I was cut off from other humans, save for the patrons that came into that tavern you found me in. And then you brought me here, and things changed, became so much better. I had you, and the other teachers, and Hagrid, and the Centaurs...I had people who care about me, loved me, accepted me just as I am.

"I know you were only doing what you thought was the best thing, and trying to make sure I was safe. But keeping me hidden away in that room for all these years, away from the other students..."

Her voice became sad. "I've never had someone I could just sit around with, chatting, or playing a game, just waste time having fun, like any other teenager does."

"You have me..." said Snape, and Cassius smiled lovingly at him, putting a hand over his.

"I know, Daddy. But I meant someone my own age. Someone I could consort with, sympathize with. Someone a little more like _me_...

"And then I met Harry. It wasn't intentional, I assure you. But I certainly am happy it happened. You see, Dad, the only reason Harry came into the Forest today was because he was concerned about me. He, Ron, and Hermione have been doing some research, trying to find a way to help me, even though they are aware that you and Dumbledore haven't had any success in all these years. He came looking for me, and Draco followed him."

Snape glanced over at Malfoy, who had started to snore, a small puddle of drool gathering on his pillow. Making a face, he turned back to Cassius. She was looking at him, her eyes holding a look he recognized from the first day they had met - the look of wisdom beyond her years, tinged this time with a touch of hope.

"Don't you see, Daddy? Harry cares about me, he won't let anything hurt me. The same with Ron and Hermione. They're my friends. My _real_ friends. The _first_ real friends I've ever had..."

Snape looked into her eyes, and a surge of great love rushed through him. Finally, he nodded with a sad sigh.

"Very well, little love. I suppose you're right. It's good for you to have kids your own age to talk to," he said softly, his gaze dropping to his lap. "But you must promise me something..."

"What is it?" she asked, her voice full of emotion.

"That you won't turn your back on me...I couldn't stand to have you against me..."

"Daddy," Cassius said softly, sitting up again, and throwing her arms around his neck. "You will always be first in my heart! Never doubt that, not even for a second!"

Snape smiled and put his arms around her, holding her tight. "I won't, darling, I won't. You alone are the most important thing in the world to me, and I want only what's best for you..."

Cassius pulled back and looked into his eyes again, biting her lip slightly. "Well..."

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

She talked fast now. "Dumbledore was here when I woke, and we had a little talk...he said that he feels it's time for me to start attending lessons with the other kids...Now that they know I'm here, there's no longer any point to hiding me away..."

Snape's eyes widened. "Are you joking? How in the devil does he think that's going to be possible?"

"He said he will give me special robes to wear, just in case I happen to be by a window or something, so the sun can't reach me. And I've been exploring these halls for years, I know every back way and secret passage there is, so I can get to classes and be able to avoid passing the courtyard hall! And, of course, Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures will be exceptions, I'll still attend those after sundown...Can I, Daddy? Can I be a little more normal?" she asked, searching his eyes.

Snape didn't appear to be too excited about it, but he heaved a sigh, and nodded. "I guess I agree with Dumbledore. Now that your presense has been made known around here, there's no reason to try and keep it secret any longer..."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck again. She pressed a very happy kiss into his cheek. Snape laughed softly, despite himself.

"Alright, then, little love," he said, gently easing her back down onto her pillow. "I'd best leave you now. You'll be needing your rest, if you're going to be switching up your schedule so much."

She smiled up at him as he leaned down and kissed her on the nose. He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment, looking at her closely.

"I love you, Cassius Galdeon," he said clearly, smiling into her eyes.

He patted her hand, got to his feet, and left her lying there, still smiling, gazing up at the ceiling above her bed. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep, her head full of dreams about dancing in the sunlight.


	18. Chapter 17 :: Into The Mix

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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The Great Hall was noisy as usual two days later, as the students talked excitedly amongst themselves. Dumbledore had been right - word had spread quickly through the school of Cassius' presense, and it had become the main topic of discussion at each table, especially since word got out that the mysterious girl from Gryffindor Tower would begin attending regular classes with the rest of them.

Gathered together at the Gryffindor table, Harry, Ron and Hermione were also talking about it, all of them wearing expressions of relief and joy.

"I think it's splendid she's going to be joining us at last," said Ron, tapping his fingers on the table anxiously.

Hermione looked a bit worried. "I don't know, Ron. It's been so many years, and she hasn't been around large crowds of people. I just hope she'll be alright..."

"She'll be fine," Ron replied, patting her hand. "We'll be here for her."

Harry didn't say anything. He was too busy watching the doors for Cassius to enter. She had told him last night by means of the Thought Sender that she would be starting lessons with the other students today, and that morning he had gotten dressed faster than he ever had before, and rushed to the Great Hall to wait for her. He had taken a book along with him, though not for reading. Instead, he had set it in the space beside him on the bench, telling anyone that tried to sit there that the seat was saved.

A few late students filed into the Hall, and Harry cringed when he spotted Malfoy and his pitifully loyal goons, Crabbe and Goyle, among them. As they took their seats directly behind Harry, he was able to hear their conversation.

"A real looker, I tell you," Malfoy was saying. "One I'd be real glad to take home with me."

Crabbe and Goyle laughed heartily. "Do you think she fancied you, Draco?" asked Pansy Parkinson, who had come in with them. Harry smirked slightly when he caught the jealous note in her shrill voice.

"I'm right certain she did," answered Malfoy. "She seemed determined to do nothing else than save my life," he added smugly.

"And she knew your name?!" asked Crabbe, his voice dripping with envy.

Malfoy nodded. "I didn't even have to introduce myself."

Harry started to turn to tell him off, when the clinking sound of a spoon tapping a glass made him look up in the direction of the teacher's table. Dumbledore was standing at his seat, his arms raised high above his head.

"Everybody, can I please have your attention! I have an announcement to make," he called out. The Hall fell silent, some of the students leaning forward in their seats anxiously.

"In a few moments, we will be welcoming a new student among us," the old wizard started. "She has actually been here at Hogwarts' for many years, but today will be her first day taking part in the lessons in the company of all of you. I trust that you will greet her with the same kindness and respect that I know each of you would expect for yourselves. Upon her arrival here many years ago, she was sorted into Gryffindor House, and there she will remain. So, without further ado..."

The door behind the table, that led down to the dungeons, opened, and Snape stepped out. Cassius was right behind him, looking rather small in her school robes, her clear blue eyes wide as she scanned the large room. She stayed behind Snape, as though trying to hide. Even from where Harry sat, he could see that she was shaking.

"...let me introduce...Miss Cassius Galdeon!" finished Dumbledore, as Snape led her to stand in front of the table. Cassius, looking extremely frightened, twisted her hands into Snape's robes and buried her face in his arm.

Hermione whispered, "Poor Cassius...", and Ron sat beside her, watching Cassius with concern. Harry, unable to take the sight of Cassius so obviously terrified, found himself getting to his feet, and before he realized what he was doing, he was walking toward her, his eyes on Snape.

Stopping a few feet away, he said clearly, "Professor?"

Snape stared at him for a moment, disapprovingly, then nodded. He coaxed Cassius out from behind him, nudging her in Harry's direction. She grabbed his arm and tried to hang on, but he gently pried her fingers loose.

"Go on, little love. You'll be alright. I'll see you again in a couple of hours," he said softly in her ear. She looked at him desperately, tears in her eyes. He gestured to Harry, who stepped forward and reached out a hand to Cassius.

She looked Harry in the eye, and the fear he saw in her face made his chest clench up. She took his hand, and he led her down the steps, to their place at the Gryffindor table, the eyes of the other students following them as they moved. Some said a few words of greeting, others nodded to Cassius, but though she tried to keep a smile on her face, she didn't say anything in response. She gripped Harry's hand tightly as they walked.

Upon reaching their seats, Cassius' eyes fell on Malfoy, who looked up at her with a sly smile, quirking an eyebrow. Her eyes softened a bit, and she nodded to him quickly, lowering herself onto the bench beside Harry. She turned and faced Hermione and Ron, and almost instantly, she seemed to relax.

Hermione greeted her with a kind smile. "How are you feeling?"

Cassius, looking around a bit uncertainly, replied, "To be honest, absolutely scared out of my wits. Look at all these people! And they're all watching me..."

"Aw, don't worry about them," said Ron, winking at her. "They're harmless, for the most part." Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a scolding look.

"Don't scare the poor girl, Ron!" she hissed. Ron just turned his grin on her, and blew a kiss in her direction. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't get cute with me, Ronald Weasley, or I'll tell your mother you've been tricking first-years into eating those Skiving Snackboxes of Fred and George's!"

"That's a lie!" Ron said defensively, his face turning red.

Hermione made a face at him. "Yes, but it got you to shut up, didn't it?"

He stuck his tounge out at her, and Cassius laughed across the table. Harry smiled at the sound of her laugh, and placed his hand gently over hers.

"It's good to see you out here, Cassius," he told her. She looked at him and returned his smile.

"It's going to take a bit of getting used to," she replied. "But it feels good to be among friends," she added, beaming at all three of them.

"Cassius!" called Hagrid, who was making his way toward them. He dropped a heavy hand on her shoulder, grinning proudly. "How's our little love handlin' her first day in the mix?"

Cassius turned her gaze to the half-giant. "A bit nervous, I must say..."

"Well, don' you worry, darlin', yer goin' ter be jus' fine, I know it. Especially when ya got friends like these guys ter lean on," he said, nodding at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "You three will keep an eye out for her, righ'?"

They all nodded vigorously. "Definitely," said Hermione.

"Good. I'm countin' on that," Hagrid said with another smile, and headed off.

Cassius looked at her friends around her. "You guys are so wonderful. I feel much better, knowing you all are nearby..."

"Don't worry, Cassius," said Harry. "We won't leave your--"

He was interrupted when a hand suddenly came down on the table between them. Malfoy leaned in, separating Harry and Cassius.

Malfoy leered at Cassius. "Hello, again," he drawled, raising an eyebrow at her again. "Thought I'd let you know how grateful I am to you for what you did the other day. It really took alot of guts to come out in the open like that. I feel honored that you did, just for me."

She looked up at him, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Of course, Draco. I wasn't about to let you and Harry sit in that cavern all day. Your leg would have been in terrible shape when we returned to the school if I had."

He nodded. "So it would have. Excuse me, Potter," he shot nastily at Harry, forcing himself down on the bench between them. He turned back to Cassius, leaning on the table, his head resting in his hand. "So tell me...What does a pretty young woman, such as yourself, like to do in her spare time?"

Cassius didn't even hesitate before replying, though her smile faltered and her brow creased slightly, "Sleep. Or study, if I've a mind to. Though lately, I've been enjoying spending time with my friends."

Malfoy made a face, looking around at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were watching with disbelief, and disgust. "Surely you don't mean this lot, do you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," she replied cooly. Malfoy cringed.

"Oh, no, baby, you can do so much better, trust me," he said.

Cassius' eyes flashed with sudden anger. "I don't need you to tell me what's good for me, thank you very much," she growled, and pulled his elbow out from under him so quickly that his head fell with a thud to the table, and getting to her feet. "And if you ever call me _baby_ again, I'll place a hex on you so horrid, your great-grandchildren will feel it!"

Some of the students sitting close by laughed. Harry felt Hermione kick his leg under the table, and when he turned to face her, she gestured with her head toward the front of the Hall. He looked up, and saw that at the teacher's table, Snape had gotten to his feet, watching, his cold eyes glaring at Malfoy. It was the first time Harry had ever seen him look at Malfoy in such a way. Dumbledore, too, had risen, as had McGonagall, all of them focused on Cassius. When Malfoy jumped to his feet to face Cassius angrily, Snape opened his mouth.

"MR. MALFOY!" he bellowed, and the entire Hall fell silent. Malfoy turned to look at him, fear flashing across his face. Snape came around the table and rushed over to where Malfoy stood, his face white with anger. "That will be QUITE enough of that," he snarled at the boy, who glowered, but took his seat back at the Slytherin table. With a quick look at Cassius that Harry was sure had contained a hint of pride, Snape spun around and returned to the teacher's table.

As Cassius took her seat again, Ron looked at her admiringly. "It's not fair. You and Hermione get all the good shots at Malfoy," he muttered, grinning.

Harry watched Cassius prepare a plate of food for herself, smiling to himself.

Malfoy leaned over in their direction again, and Harry heard the cold words he whispered:  
"Just you wait, Cassius Galdeon. You'll regret refusing Draco Malfoy."


	19. Chapter 18 :: Between These Walls

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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"I don't know how you lot wear these robes," Cassius said, pulling at the neck of her own. "It feels like I'm wrapped in a cocoon!"

Hermione looked at her. "Haven't you ever worn them before?"

"No," Cassius answered, shaking her head. "I always attended classes at night, so there was never any need for them."

"You get used to it," said Harry. "Flitwick sure was glad to see you..." He grinned at Cassius, who rolled her eyes.

"He's a sweet little man, but he can be bit overenthusiastic once in awhile," she muttered with a smile. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Staring straight ahead, she pursed her lips.

"I can't go this way. Look," she said, pointing. They were getting close to the courtyard entrance, and the sun's bright rays filled the hall.

Ron made a face. "So, what do we do now?" he asked, looking at Cassius. She shook her head slightly, pursing her lips.

"I know another way. I'll meet you all there," she said, turning on her heel and hurrying in the direction from which they had just come.

Waving to Ron and Hermione, Harry hurried off after her. "Hey, Cassius! Wait up!"

She slowed her pace, so that he could catch up. He smiled at her.

"Thought you might like some company in this crowd," he said, falling into step beside her. She smiled gratefully.

"You didn't have to come with me," she said. "I would have been fine on my own. You could have stayed with Ron and Hermione..."

Harry waved the thought away. "Aww, let the lovebirds have a moment to themselves. Maybe they'll stop arguing long enough to have a decent conversation."

Cassius laughed, and the sound brought a smile to Harry's face. "They do make quite an interesting pair, don't they?"

He nodded. "That they do. But it's not surprising they got together, really. I'd been expecting it long before it came about." Cassius looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

Suddenly, she paused beside a thin table against the wall that held an old, empty flower vase, and looked around at the passing students, as though waiting for something.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked her, a note of concern in his voice.

She nodded, not looking at him, and turned so that her back was to the wall. Harry watched her, confused. When the hall was empty, except for the two of them, Cassius looked at him, and smiled, giving him a wink before suddenly reaching out and knocking the vase off of the table. It fell shattering to the floor, and Harry jumped back quickly to avoid the shards of glass. Moving fast, she ducked down and crawled under the table, looking back and motioning for Harry to follow. He got down on his hands and knees and hurried after her as she disappeared through the wall.

He found himself surrounded by a darkness so black, he couldn't even see his own hands on the ground in front of him. Suddenly, a hand was under his arm, pulling him up to his feet. He heard Cassius' voice say loudly, "_LUMOS_!", and then he saw her standing before him, her wand producing a bright blue light from its tip.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around at the nothingness they were surrounded by.

Cassius giggled.

"We're in Hogwarts, of course!" she said playfully. Her eyes widened, sparkling in the wand's light. "And I do mean _inside_, mind you..."

He looked at her strangely. "What are you talking about?"

She laughed again. "We're inside the building, Harry! Between the walls!"

He shook his head, not sure whether to believe her or not. "Are you serious? How did you ever find this place?!"

"I've lived here since I was practically a baby. I got bored once in awhile. You'd be surprised, some of the things I've found around here. Now, come on. Daddy will have a fit if we're late for his class. Stay close, I don't want to lose you in here."

She took his hand and led him down the narrow path, and around three different corners. After what seemed like forever, Cassius finally came to a stop.

"Now, then," she said, releasing Harry and turning to face the side opposite from the one they had come in through. Raising her wand again, she tapped the wall with it. "_REVEAL_!" she cried.

The wall seemed to open up, and the corridor on the other side came into view. It was like looking through a pool of water, a silvery substance rippling and moving about. Harry could see the students passing by, hurrying to their classes.

"Wicked," he whispered. Cassius didn't respond - she was too busy waiting for the crowd to disperse. When the coast was clear, she turned to Harry, with a smile.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied. Cassius pointed her wand at the wall once again, this time appearing to aim it at a portrait on the other side of the outer corridor.

"_ALOHOMORA_!" she shouted, and the silvery substance disappeared. She grabbed Harry's hand again, and pulled him quickly through the hole, barely making it out before it sealed up and the wall was back in its original form. He looked around and realized where they were - at the top of the stairs that led to the dungeons.

Cassius hurried ahead of him, tugging his hand to get him to move. "Come on, Harry, we're going to be late!"

They ran down the stairs, and into the dark hall below...


	20. Chapter 19 :: Brewing Trouble

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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Ron was trying to balance his quill on the tip of his thumb when Harry and Cassius hurried into the classroom. Harry dropped down onto the stool beside Hermione, who was flipping through the pages of her _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _book. After scanning the room for an empty spot, Cassius finally settled herself beside Neville Longbottom one table over, turning to him with a wide smile as she did. Neville blushed a little, but returned her smile.

Turning around on her stool, Cassius looked closely at Hermione.

"Hermione, can I ask you something?" she said, sounding a little nervous. Hermione looked up from her pages, a smile on her lips. "Well, you see...it's been so many years, and I've been all alone in that room up there..."

Hermione listened intently, nodding slowly. Cassius continued.

"It gets so lonely up there sometimes, so I was hoping...maybe...I mean, if it's alright with you and McGonagall...Would you want to move up there with me?" she asked, her eyes wide with hope.

Ron and Harry looked at each other, and Hermione broke into a wide grin. "I think that would be great, Cassius! I'm sure McGonagall won't have any problem with it..."

"Yeah, but what about Snape?" Ron interjected. "Wouldn't it be up to him, as well?"

Cassius shook her head. "Don't worry about him, I'll take care of it," she said. "I know how to talk to my d--"

She cut off when Malfoy strode into the room, pausing for a moment on his way to his seat, and staring coldly down at Cassius.

"How's your first day going, _baby_?" he snarled. Cassius narrowed her eyes at him, her face paling.

"I warned you, Draco, don't talk to me that way, or I'll--"

"Hex me, right, you said as much. You're not very intimidating, you know." He leaned down, putting his mouth close to her ear. "I, on the other hand, could scare that nasty little attitude right out of you..."

"That's enough, Mr. Malfoy," said Snape, who suddenly appeared behind him, his eyes hard. "Take your seat."

Malfoy quirked an eyebrow at Cassius, and continued on to his place near the front of the classroom.

Snape stepped in front of his desk, and turned to face the class. He clapped his hands together sharply to get the students' attention, and began a role call, He stopped when he reached Cassius' name, and looked up to see her sitting straight as an arrow on her stool, her hands clasped on the table in front of her.

"Ah, Cassius," he said, his lip curling slightly. "So good to have you with us. I do hope that you aren't expecting to recieve any kind of...special treatment...while in this class?"

She shook her head at him, her eyes narrowing. "Of course not. I'd get up and walk out of here straight away if I thought for one second that I would be treated any differently than my classmates."

Snape's lips pulled back in a sneer. "Quite sure of yourself, aren't you, girl?"

Cassius smiled sweetly at him. "Most certainly. You wouldn't want me to be any other way, now, would you?"

He considered her for a moment, then returned her smile. "I suppose not."

She winked at him quickly, leaning forward slightly. "I learned from the best, you know..."

Snape's head bobbed in what appeared to be a nod, and he turned his attention to the rest of the class.

"Today, we will be concocting a Confusion Draught, which will render the drinker senseless. A mere babbling fool, if you will. Though some of you," he added, his gaze falling on Neville, "don't need the brew to achieve that status."

Cassius glanced over at Neville in disbelief, but he merely shrugged at her. He was quite used to being the target of many of Snape's nasty remarks. The class, following instructions as Snape barked them out, rose from their seats and began milling about, gathering their ingredients together and preparing their cauldrons. Cassius looked around, a worried expression on her face.

"Are you alright?" asked Harry, watching her.

She fixed her eyes on him and shook her head slightly. "I don't have a cauldron. I always just used his," she said, and pointed at Malfoy. "I never got my own..."

Just then, Snape called from the front of the room. "Cassius! Come here, child." Jumping slightly at the sound of her name, Cassius looked at Harry again, smiled slightly, and turned to head in Snape's direction.

Snape led her to his own cauldron, directly beside his desk, and put a hand on her shoulder. His voice was cool, as it was when he spoke to the other students, but his eyes were warm as he said, "For the time being, you will use my cauldron for your lessons. As soon as I get the chance, I will go to Hogsmeade and get you one of your own."

After making sure that she had everything she needed for the Confusion Draught, he left her alone, and began walking around the class, peering into the cauldrons, inspecting the bubbling potions. Malfoy watched for Snape to have his back turned, and the second the teacher was not looking, he got to his feet and strode up to the cauldron where Cassius stood.

Trying to ignore Malfoy's mischievous glare, Cassius kept her head down, concentrating on stirring her Confusion Draught, which had come to a nice boil. She didn't see Malfoy picking around through the bottles and jars on Snape's desk, as though searching for an ingredient he had forgotten. She didn't notice his hand wrapping around a tiny vial of black powder. And she didn't see his quick glance over his shoulder, checking to make sure the teacher still wasn't looking.

Malfoy turned around, pretending not to notice Cassius now. As he passed her, though, he made as though he tripped, stumbling awfully, and the vial he had palmed from the desk flew from his hand, landing with a _splash!_ into Cassius' cauldron. She jumped back, looking up at him, her eyes wide.

He stepped backwards, his smile triumphant as her mixture began to bubble and gurgle madly.

"So sorry, love. Clumsy me," he said in a voice dripping with fake sincerity.

Suddenly, the mixture in the cauldron exploded, sending its scalding contents flying all over the place. Malfoy managed to jump out of the way in time to avoid getting splashed, but Cassius hadn't reacted quickly enough, and her face was covered in the thick, dark green liquid. She screamed as it began to burn, her hands flying up to try and rub the mixture out of her eyes, shaking her head back and forth furiously.

Snape hurried forward, trying to see what was going on, but he was too late. The Draught was taking its effect. Cassius looked around frantically, her eyes seeming as though they were going to pop right out of her head, utterly confused. All of a sudden, she changed, taking on the form of the raven, and began flying in mad circles around the room.

Students cried out in surprise, ducking to avoid the bird that didn't seem to see them there. Cassius swooped down and flew just over Neville's head, sending him sprawling backward to avoid getting run into. His foot hit his cauldron and knocked it over, spilling its contents all over the floor.

Snape whipped out his wand, aimed it at Cassius, and shouted, "_IMMOBULIS RESTORTIUM_!", but once again his timing was off. She flew headfirst into the stone wall of the dungeon classroom, knocking herself unconscious with a burst of pain in her head, and her body transformed into her human self as she floated in the air, still pressed against the wall.

Snape rushed to her, pulling her gently away from the wall, and lowering her body to the floor. Crouching down to inspect her bleeding head, he pressed a piece of cloth to the wound. Malfoy was snickering, and Snape's head snapped up. He got to his feet and marched up to Malfoy, glaring angrily at the boy.

"All of these years, Mr. Malfoy, and you have not once spent a detention with me. That will change, if I find out you had anything to do with this," he said in a low voice. He looked around the room. "I will need someone to volunteer to take Miss Galdeon to the hospital wing immediately. I fear Madam Pomfrey will have to look over her right away, and I am obviously unable to leave this class without supervision." Snape said the last part in what sounded more like a growl than actual words, his cold eyes flickering once again to Malfoy.

"We'll go, sir," offered Ron as he and Harry rushed forward to where Cassius lay. Hermione was stooping down beside Neville, helping him to set his cauldron back up. She pointed her wand at the spilled mess on the floor, and used the scourgify spell to make it disappear.

Snape lifted Cassius, still unconscious, to her feet, helping Harry and Ron get her arms draped over their shoulders. They dragged her carefully out of the room, and disappeared into the hall.

Snape turned back to Malfoy, his eyes cold. "You'd better watch yourself, boy. I've got my eye on you."

Malfoy swallowed, the laughter suddenly gone from his eyes, replaced by a faint trace of fear. "Y-y-you'd better watch it, Professor...My dad-"

Snape leaned down close to Malfoy's face, his lips curling with rage. "Your father will have nothing to say about the matter, Mr. Malfoy. Trust me, he will not hold me at fault for any punishments you may receive as a result of your actions. At least, when it comes to _that_ girl."

With that, Snape swept past the boy, sitting on the stool behind his desk. He picked up his quill and began to scribble on a piece of parchment.

"Let it be noted," he said loud enough for the entire class to hear. "Ten points will be taken from Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's..." he glared at Malfoy again, "insubordinance."

The students looked around at each other, shocked. Snape had never been known to take points from his own house, particularly from Malfoy.

Malfoy stood, staring at Snape, his face reddening with fury. He was already thinking about what he was going to write to his father in his next letter home.


	21. Chapter 20 :: Meeting Again

**A/N :: Well, well, well...Still reading? Lovely...Believe me, if you've come this far into our Cassius' story, you're going to want to stick around for more -- it only gets better from here!**

**  
We left of with dear old Draco stirring up some trouble for Cas, and paying the price -- whoa, a Slytherin being disciplined by Snape?? Who'd have thought _that_ would ever happen? So, what's Draco's next bold move?**

**Crying to Daddy.**

**What a lovely opportunity for a little...family reunion...wouldn't you say?  
**

_Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. With the exception of a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling; only to those that are of my own creation._

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Cassius was restless, slowly coming back to consciousness. Images faded in and out of her mind; flashes of a lovely woman with golden blonde hair and penetrating violet eyes; memories of seeing herself in the mirror as a child, watching her hair darken, over time, from its soft blonde into the black that was characteristic of the Villdawicks, until one day the reflection disappeared...And, underneath it all, a voice...always the same scratchy voice, calling out from some unseen corner...

_Bloodbrat_...

She awoke with a start, still reeling from the effects of the potion. Her eyes scanned the room quickly, frantically, and fell on Harry, who was watching her intently.

His eyes were worried, and he tried hard to smile as he leaned forward and whispered, "Alright, Cassius?"

She tried to nod, but her body ached, and her head felt too heavy to lift. Her eyes fluttered a bit, then closed once more, as she drifted back into sleep...

*

A hand on her foot jostled her awake, and she found herself face-to-face with...Malfoy. Her eyes shot around the room, worried, looking for help, but Harry had gone, and Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight. He narrowed his cold, hard eyes at her.

"Thought maybe we got off on the wrong foot," he said menacingly. "Figured we should try to...sort things out."

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her dry throat making her voice sound scratchy.

He leaned closer to her. "Making '_peace_'," he replied. He extended a hand to her, but she merely stared at it.

"What is this supposed to be?"

"A truce," he said, "or more like...a deal. I'll promise to play nice, if you swear you'll get Snape to give back those ten points you cost me."

"What makes you think I want to make any kind of deal with _you_?" she snapped.

He smiled smugly at her. "You saved my life."

"That's because I had to."

He opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by the sound of the door banging open. A tall man, with a pointed face and long, white-blond hair strode into the hospital wing, heading in their direction. His thick, black cloak billowed out behind him as he moved.

"I am _horribly_ disappointed in you, Draco. Dragging me away from my work because you need me to come and clean up your mess..." Lucius Malfoy came to a stop in front of his son. "How very _typical_ of you, boy. Though, I daresay," he added, an irritable note to his voice, "that perhaps Severus was a bit...harsh."

His gaze moved down, and his eyes widened slightly when they fell on Cassius, who was staring back up at him. He turned back to his son.

"_This_ is the student that you have such a problem with, that you must put your House points at risk?"

"She's an absolute _nightmare_, Father," Malfoy said defiantly, sneering at Cassius. "Nothing but a foul, rotten, no-good little--"

"Now, now, Draco," Lucius interrupted, waving him off. "I won't have you using such crude language in the presense" - he looked back down at Cassius - "of a _lady_."

"But, Father--" Malfoy started, but Lucius stopped him once again with the wave of his hand.

"Run along, now, son. Get back to your classes," Lucius said cooly. "I will deal with the...troublemaker."

Casting one last dirty look at Cassius, Malfoy turned on his heel and stormed out of the hospital wing, leaving them alone. Lucius lowered himself slowly to sit on the edge of Cassius' bed, his eyes fixed on hers.

"My word," he said, his voice now sounding somewhat wistful. He reached out a hand, and laid it gently on her cheek. "How beautiful you have grown up to be..."

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, jerking her head out of his reach. Lucius recoiled slightly.

"What's this, then?" he asked, sounding bemused. "No 'hello' for your own father?"

"You are_ not_ my father," she growled, glaring at him coldly.

Lucius laughed, shaking his head.

"On the contrary, my dear girl," he replied. "You wouldn't be here today if it weren't for me."

"I know," she answered nastily. "And there aren't enough words to describe how grateful I am to you for giving me up."

"Giving you up?" he asked, looking taken aback. "I should say_ not_. I simply placed you in the care of a seemingly...capable...individual. And I see Severus has done a rather fair job of bringing you up. Though, I must say," he added, looking her up and down, "it seems some of his..._attitude_...rubbed off on you..."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY DAD THAT WAY!" she shouted, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"_Excuse_ _me_? First of all, I will not tolerate being spoken to in such a way by a little girl such as yourself. Secondly, your precious professor is not your father, did you not hear me before? I am the one responsible for your mere _existence_."

"I am aware of that fact," Cassius shot back at him, her eyes flashing with hatred. "Did you think it would be kept a secret from me for all of these years? No, my dad told me everything, how you let those monsters murder my mum, and take me away...How you refused to take me in when I was returned to you..."

"I had no choice, girl," Lucius offered, his face white with anger. "My family--"

"I WAS YOUR FAMILY!" she screamed. "Or did you forget about that during those years I was held as a slave? Do you know what those creatures did to me? Are you aware of the things I have to deal with now because of it?"

He stared at her, his mouth hanging open, shocked by her furious outburst.

"You may be partly responsible for my birth," Cassius continued, her voice dripping with suppressed rage, "but you are _not my father anymore_."

"Now, look here, young lady--" Lucius began, his face twisting in anger.

"What's going on here?" said a low, cold voice from the door. Cassius threw back her covers and leapt from her bed. She ran down the aisle and threw her arms around Snape's neck as he entered. He embraced her, his dark eyes fixed on Lucius. "What are you playing at, Malfoy?"

Lucius got to his feet, raising a hand to point a finger at Snape. "What have you done to my daughter?" he asked, accusingly.

"The very best I could," replied Snape, releasing Cassius and gently pushing her to the side so that he could face Lucius head-on. "Given the circumstances."

"You've turned her completely against me!" Lucius raged, moving forward quickly.

"He's done no such thing!" Cassius cried, glaring at him angrily. "Never once has my dad said an unkind word about you. He has always held you in greatest regard, more so than you ever deserved, and he's made you out to seem a decent man. It was_ I_ who decided that you aren't worth even the _second_ it would take to spare you a thought."

"Cassius, darling, go and lie down. You need to rest," Snape told her gently, but she shook her head.

"I _won't_! Not as long as that man-" she jabbed a finger in Lucius' direction "-is here."

Snape turned to Lucius. "I think that it would be best that you go, Lucius. She is still obviously suffering the effects of the Confusion Draught..."

"I am NOT!" Cassius cried, turning on Snape. "I simply won't have this man saying such horrible things about you,_ I won't have it_!"

"It's alright, little love," coaxed Snape. "I will deal with your father."

"HE IS NOT MY FATHER!" she screamed again, causing a murmur of shock to arise from the portraits.

"Calm down, darling. Do as I say," Snape replied, easing her in the direction of the bed. She relented, casting Lucius a nasty glare as she passed him.

"She takes after her mother, I see," Lucius said to Snape, his rage easing. "The same fire, the same tenacity."

Snape gave Lucius a slightly cold, tight smile. "She has alot of you in her, as well..."

Lucius seemed to have picked up on the slight note of disdain in the professor's comment, and he returned Snape's forced smile with one of his own. "Obviously. How else would she be able to stand so firmly behind her own decisions?" He moved in the direction of the door. "I must thank you, Severus. You have done well with her, despite her obvious misgivings about her true parentage. I don't hold that against you, mind you..."

Snape shook his head, the corner of his mouth curling up in a sort of sneer. "I never suspected that you would."

"Of course you didn't," Lucius replied cooly. He glanced over at Cassius again, who was just climbing back into her bed. "As it is, though, considering her presence is already known...perhaps it may be time to let my little...secret...come out into the open, don't you think?"

Snape looked at him carefully. "What do you mean?"

Lucius looked at him, a smirk on his thin lips. "Perhaps it's time I take over with the care of the girl."

Cassius' head snapped up. "What are you talking about?" she cried.

"I am your father--"

"STOP SAYING THAT!"

"--and I think it would be best if I take you out of this place, and bring you home, where you belong."

Snape's mouth dropped open. "What?! No...no, you can't do that!"

Lucius turned on him, his eyebrows raised. "Can't I?"

"No...she must stay here...she's a student...and..." Snape's voice trailed off.

"And, what?" asked Lucius.

"And..._she belongs with me_," replied Snape, his voice dropping, suddenly cold and hard.

Lucius' eyes widened with surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

Snape glared at him, anger flashing in his eyes. "She stays here."

Lucius laughed, waving his hand. "I think that decision is up to me." He turned to face Cassius, who was on her feet again, her face white. "Prepare your things, girl. I will return after sundown to collect you...and take you home."

Cassius rushed around the bed, her eyes wide with fury. "NO! I won't go!"

"You aren't going to be taking her anywhere," said Snape. "She is _my_ daughter, and I won't allow it."

"Oh, so she's _your_ daughter now, then, is she?" retorted Lucius, his voice thick with false friendliness. "We'll see about that." He looked at Cassius. "I will be back tonight. Be ready."

With that, Lucius Malfoy smirked and gave a seemingly courteous nod of his head, then turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving Snape and Cassius to stare helplessly at each other.

"Daddy..." Cassius said in a strained voice. Snape moved toward her, and took her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. She could feel him shaking slightly as she laid her head on his shoulder, tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry, little love. He won't get away with this..."

* * *

**Reviews are lovely...**


	22. Chapter 21 :: Dumbledore's Decision

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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Harry and Ron dropped by to visit just as Cassius was preparing to leave the hospital wing. Seeing them enter, she tried her best to force a smile, but the worry in her eyes betrayed her.

"Alright, then?" asked Ron, grinning widely as they approached her. "You sure gave us one heck of a start back there."

"Yeah, sorry about that," she replied, looking around. "Where's Hermione?"

"Packing her things," answered Harry, smiling. "Professor McGonagall said it would be alright if she moves in with you."

Cassius' face fell slightly. "I don't know how much point to it there is now..."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, a look of concern spreading across his face. Cassius shook her head.

"Nothing. Don't think on it." Forcing a smile and trying to sound cheerful, she added, "I'm glad it's almost time to eat. I'm positively_ famished_."

"Well, we'd better get going then, or we'll miss the start of the feast," said Ron, holding out his arm to her. "Shall we?"

Pushing her worries to the back of her mind, Cassius smiled and looped her arm through his. Harry, chuckling to himself, placed a gentle hand on the small of her back, and the three left the hospital wing.

*

Hermione joined them at the Gryffindor table halfway through the feast, her face flushed after running the long distance from her room to the Great Hall. She dropped down, exhausted, beside Ron.

"You never know how much stuff you have, until you try to pack it all away," she said, her voice thin. She smiled across the table at Cassius. "I'm all settled in, though."

Cassius returned her smile, but didn't reply. She had been awfully quiet throughout the meal, glancing every so often toward the teacher's table, at Snape.

"Are you okay, Cassius?" asked Harry, who had been watching her the entire time. He, too, looked up at Snape, and saw that the teacher had his gaze set on Cassius, a look of great worry burned into his sallow features.

Cassius bit her lip, turning to face her friends. "You guys..." she started in a strained voice.

She was saved the effort of having to figure out where to start by Hermione's gasp of surprise -- the door to the Hall had flown open, and Lucius Malfoy was making his way between the tables toward them.

Staring down at Cassius, a smile on his thin lips, he said, "Are you ready to go, darling?"

"Go?!" asked Ron, looking from Lucius to Cassius, and back again. "Go where?"

"_Home_, silly boy," answered Lucius, smirking at him. "She's coming home tonight."

"What is he talking about?" Harry asked, confused, his eyes on Cassius. "This _is_ your home!"

Cassius looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap, bit her lip again, and burst into tears, unable to speak. At the teacher's table, Snape had risen from his place and was leaning over Dumbledore, saying something in the old wizard's ear. Dumbledore nodded, and rose to his feet.

"Lucius Malfoy," he called over the noise of the Hall, and silence fell over all of the students, who had twisted around in their seats to watch the situation unfold. "You have no business here at this time. I am afraid I must ask you kindly to please leave at once."

Lucius glared up at him, anger in his eyes. "You're mistaken, old man. I have very _serious_ business to attend to, and I will not be going anywhere without my child."

At this, Malfoy stood up. "You want me to _leave_?! But...why? What did I do?" he cried.

Lucius waved him off. "Not_ you_, boy. Sit back down. I meant my daughter."

Malfoy blinked, and a gasp was heard from somewhere at the Ravenclaw table. "Your..._daughter_?" Malfoy squeaked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Yes, my daughter," Lucius replied impatiently. He reached out and wrapped his hand around Cassius' arm, pulling her roughly to her feet. He thrust her out in front of himself, toward Malfoy. "Your _sister_!"

Malfoy's mouth hung open slightly. Cassius stood before him, looking into his eyes desperately, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"M-m-my...sister??" he cried in disbelief, staring up at Lucius. "How is this possible?"

Lucius rolled his eyes irritably. "Come now, Draco, don't be so stupid. You know full well how it is possible."

Malfoy eyed Cassius carefully, not saying anything. Stunned silence had fallen over the Hall, the only sound that of Snape's footsteps as he rushed out from behind the teacher's table, and down the aisle to where they stood.

"Take your hands off of her, Lucius," Snape growled. Lucius merely looked at him, an amused expression on his face, and tightened his grip on Cassius' arm so much that she cried out in pain. Snape, pushing Malfoy out of the way, stepped up to face Lucius. He grabbed Cassius' hand and pulled her from Lucius' grasp, pushing her behind him.

"Calm yourself, Severus!" called Dumbledore, still standing at his seat. Snape ignored him, and glared at Lucius.

"Leave here, now, Lucius," he said coldly, "or there will be trouble--"

"Are you threatening me, friend?" Lucius asked. "Because if you are, I should hope you'd be ready to back it up."

Snape took a step toward him, so that they were standing nose-to-nose. "Consider it more of a warning than a threat..._friend_."

"That's enough, gentlemen," Dumbledore called, as Hagrid got to his feet and moved slowly around the table, watching the two wizards carefully.

The men seemed not to hear the old Headmaster.

"Back off, man, or you will come to regret it," Lucius snarled.

Snape let out a quick laugh. "_Now_ who's trying to make threats?"

Lucius reached out suddenly, grabbing Snape by the front of his robes. Cassius forced herself between them, clutching Lucius' arm, trying desperately to pull them apart. Hagrid was rushing toward them.

"LET GO OF MY FATHER!" she screamed in Lucius' face.

Lucius' free hand pulled back, and came forward again quickly, delivering a hard, resounding slap across Cassius face. She fell backward, landing with a hard _thud_ across the Slytherin table.

"_EXPELLIARMUS_!" came Dumbledore's shout, and the wand that Snape had instantly pulled out and was raising in Lucius' direction flew out his hand.

Snape wasted no time. His now-empty hand closed into a tight fist that came forward and crashed into the side of Lucius' face, sending the man flying backward a few feet before landing hard on his back, sprawled across the floor.

An explosion of movement happened around them. Hermione screamed, and Ron moved quickly to cover her eyes, pulling her face into his shoulder. Hagrid came up behind Snape and, pushing him out of the way, stood between him and Lucius. Harry rose from his seat and rushed across the aisle to where Cassius was just pushing herself up onto her elbows, her eyes glaring hatefully up at Lucius. Malfoy didn't say anything as Harry sat beside him and laid a hand on Cassius' knee. Malfoy's mouth still hung open, his eyes a bit glazed, his expression one of shock and confusion. Harry handed Cassius a napkin, which she pressed lightly to her mouth, where a trickle of blood was oozing from her busted lip. Dumbledore lowered himself back into his seat, appearing calm amid all of the chaos.

"As Headmaster of this school, I am responsible for everything that happens to the students here. Therefore, Lucius, it is up to_ me_ whether you will take our young Cassius or not," said Dumbledore. "And I daresay you will not."

"Now see here--" Lucius started furiously, but Dumbledore continued, cutting him off.  
"She will remain here, and attend her lessons as usual, until a proper hearing is held at the Ministry of Magic."

Lucius gaped at him. "A hearing?"

"Yes," replied Dumbledore. "At which time it will be determined whether or not - despite your many years of absence and neglect - you still hold rights over her."

"I don't need a hearing," retorted Lucius nastily.

"I'm afraid you _do_, Lucius," said Dumbledore calmly. "You see, for nearly twelve years now, Severus has taken it upon himself to be a father to Cassius. He's done a splendid job of raising her, and no court will deny him the right to claim her as his own."

Lucius seethed. "We'll see about that," he growled, and, with one last glance at Snape - who was glaring at him, his eyes blazing - he turned on his heel and stormed out of the Hall.

"Now, then," said Dumbledore. "Let us continue with our feast."

* * *

**Yeah, it was awhile since I updated last, I apologize for that...I'll be doing it more. You would think having this written out completely already would make for faster updates, lol, but what can I say...I'm slow...**

**I would love some reviews, though, it might just encourage me to update even more ;)**

**~ SP  
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	23. Chapter 22 :: At The End Of The Day

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

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"I just got out of there, Dad, I _don't_ need to go back," Cassius was saying, as Snape tried to persuade her to return to the hospital wing to have her newly swollen lip looked at. "Really, I'm fine. I swear it."

Snape narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you certain, little love?"

"Maybe yeh should go 'n have a lie down," suggested Hagrid, towering over her. Cassius rolled her eyes and threw up her hands in frustration.  
"Would you all just please..._stop_..._worrying_!" she cried, dropping down into her seat, back at Gryffindor table.

"Very well, then," Snape relented. "But once you finish eating, I want you to go _straight to bed_."

"Yes, Daddy," Cassius groaned in exasperation.

Snape looked down at her for a moment, and Harry, standing by where Cassius sat, could see a faint hint of pride in his dark eyes. Placing a hand on Cassius' head, Snape turned and headed back to the teacher's table, Hagrid following.

Harry settled himself back into his seat beside Cassius, reaching out to touch her lip gently. She flinched.

"That's gonna sting tomorrow," he said, teasing.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but it was worth it, to see my father knock that evil I-won't-say-what off his feet like that," she replied, grinning proudly.

Ron, across the table, shook his head slowly, looking amazed. "I've never seen Snape act so...so..." His voice trailed off as he struggled to find the word he was looking for.

"Gooshie?" supplied Hermione.

Cassius shook her head, reaching for a fried chicken leg from the platter between them. "Yes, well, I consider myself very lucky to be on his good side."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, leaning closer to her slightly. She looked at him and smiled.

Across the table, Ron was looking at Hermione as though she had lost her mind.

"_Gooshie_?" he was asking, and she raised her hands in a shrug.

"Well, _you_ weren't thinking of anything useful!"

"I mean, I know how nasty he can tend to be toward certain people," Cassius said to Harry.

Hermione turned to look at her. "That's not a very nice thing to say!"

Cassius rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it, Hermione. I love my dad more than anything in the world, but even I have to admit that there are times when he can be a low-down, nasty--"

"Cassius!"

"--_git_."

Harry and Ron laughed, but Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "You shouldn't say things like that, Cassius! After all he's done for you--"

"Oh,_ yada yada yada_," Cassius retorted, rolling her eyes again. "Admit it. My dad's a real _git_ sometimes, and you know it."

Hermione stared at her for a moment, then, with a sigh, nodded her head. "Alright. Yes, he's a git."

"Told you," Cassius said matter-of-factly, smiling.

"Sometimes."

Ron put his head down on the table, his fist pounding the surface, laughing, as Harry leaned back and put his arms over his stomach, which was starting to ache from his own laughter.

"Oh, _shut up_," Hermione shot at them.

"Wait a minute..." came a voice behind Harry and Cassius. At the Slytherin table, Malfoy seemed to have finally returned to his senses. "How can you be my _sister_?" he asked Cassius, his eyes still holding the confused look.

"Simple," she replied. "The same man fathered us."

"But...how?"

She looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "Not the brightest flame in the lantern, are we, Draco?"  
He shook his head, frustrated. "No, no...I mean how could he have fathered _you_ when he's married to _my_ mother? I know my mother didn't give birth to you, I'm sure I would have remembered that..."

"No, I have a different mum. Your dear old dad wasn't as dear as you would like to think. He strayed from your family, and made himself a new one. He didn't do so well with us, though...Thank heavens," she added, glancing up at Snape with a soft smile on her lips.

"But...where have you been? Why didn't I know of you before?"

Cassius sighed, exasperated. "Come on now, how thick can you get?"

Malfoy looked thoughtful. "So...you're my sister..."

"I think we've covered that already. I mean, seriously, Draco. Why else do you think I would have bothered getting your lousy carcass out of that cavern when you were hurt? If it had just been Harry, I would have been more than happy to let him stay in there with me. Would have made for good company. Sorry, Harry," she said, turning to Harry. "I only meant that in the best of ways. No offense."

Harry waved her off, smiling. "None taken."

"I mean, if you had been hurt, of _course_ I would have gotten you out of there..."

"No worries. I wouldn't have wanted you to risk yourself like you did, just for me."

"But you don't even_ look_ like me!" cried Malfoy behind them.

Cassius groaned and made as though she were going to pull out handfuls of her hair in frustration. She turned to face her brother.

"Look again, Malfoy," said Harry. "Haven't you noticed her eyes are the same color as yours?"

Malfoy shot a dirty look at Harry. "Stay out of this, Potter. Besides, loads of people have blue eyes."

"He's got a point there," said Ron, sounding none too thrilled about agreeing with Malfoy.

"Listen, Draco. I'm tired. I've had a rather...eventful...first day, and I am going to bed. We'll talk more in the morning," Cassius said, getting to her feet. She looked over at Hermione. "Coming? Thought I could help you set up your things."

Hermione smiled at her. "I'll be along soon. I have a little studying to do first..."

Cassius nodded, returning her smile. Turning to leave, she came face-to-face with Malfoy, who had gotten to his feet as well.

"We're not through, yet," he said, his eyes narrowing at her.

"We most certainly _are_, at least for tonight," she responded, moving past him. He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. Harry jumped to his feet, opening his mouth to say something, when a burst of laughter at the Slytherin table stopped him.

It was Goyle, one of Malfoy's lackies, and his face was reddening with his laughter.

Malfoy glared at him. "What's with you?" he asked nastily.

Goyle shook his head, trying to speak. "J-just realized..."

"What?" Malfoy snapped.

Taking a deep breath, Goyle started again. "Y-y-you...YOU _FANCIED_ HER!" he shouted, and exploded into another fit of giggles. Malfoy looked horrified as several of the other students began laughing as well. "You_ fancied_ her..." Goyle repeated, "AND SHE'S YOUR _SISTER_!!!"

At those words, the entire Hall filled with raucous laughter. Malfoy's face went bright red, and he turned to Cassius desperately. She was staring at him as though he had three noses. Looking him up and down quickly, she made a noise that indicated that she was thoroughly grossed out.

"_Yeech_...You've got to be kidding me!" she cried over the laughter. Her face suddenly went a light shade of green. "Oh, _ugh_...I think I'm going to be sick..." Her voice trailed off, and she ran from the Hall, one hand on her stomach, the other clamped over her mouth. Harry hurried after her.

"You fancied your sister, AND NOW YOU'VE MADE HER SICK!!!" shouted Goyle, bringing about fresh peals of laughter. Malfoy, absolutely horrified, fled the Hall.

At the teacher's table, even Snape was trying hard not to laugh.

* * *

**Malfoy fancied the wrong girl, and Snape was being "gooshie"...could things _get_ any stranger??**

**This is Hogwarts we're talking about.**

**Of course they can.**

**Reviews are fun!**

**~SP  
**


	24. Chapter 23 :: Reflections

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

**

* * *

**Cassius ran until she reached the common room of Gryffindor Tower, where she threw herself down onto the lounge sofa in front of the fire, her face buried in her folded arms. Harry crept in behind her.

"Alright, Cassius?" he asked softly, and her head snapped back up. She smiled weakly.

"Harry...I didn't know you were following me," she said, pushing herself up so that her chin rested on her hands. She blushed a bit, embarrassed. "Nearly got sick there. That was just a bit of information that I could have been well off never knowing. Ugh."

Harry chuckled and moved forward, kneeling on the floor beside her, so that they were eye-to-eye. "I can imagine. That would gross me out, too."

She laughed bitterly. "What a day this has been, eh? First, I get a Confusion Potion to the face. Then I get knocked out."

"Wake up in the hospital wing...again," Harry offered, smiling, and she laughed again.

"Yeah, that too...Then, of course, poor ickle Draco can't handle his own problems, he has to drag dear old dad into it..."

"Cassius, why didn't you tell us?" Harry asked, his voice taking on a note of concern. "Why didn't you say something?"

Cassius looked away from him, shaking her head sadly. "What was to tell? You knew my dad...er, the man I call my dad...isn't really my father. Thought that was all you needed to know."

Harry placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Maybe it was."

Cassius sat up suddenly, her eyes fixing on the fire. "Harry, there's so much...so many things that you don't know about me. Things that may be best if you never find out about. I'm so very different from you...Ron...Hermione...even my own brother..."

He lifted himself up to sit beside her, looking closely at the side of her face. "It's only human to feel different, Cassius."

"But that's just it, don't you see?" She stood up, turning to face him. "Sometimes I don't feel human at all."

Harry shook his head slightly, not understanding. With a sigh, Cassius moved across the room to stand in front of the large mirror that hung by the entrance to the staircases that led up to the boys' dormitories.

"Come here, Harry."

He got to his feet, and walked over to stand beside her. She placed her hands on his arms, and turned him gently, so that he was facing the mirror. She gazed into the glass herself.

"Tell me what you see," she said softly.

Harry saw himself, his dark hair untidy as usual, his glasses covering his bright green eyes, his scar showing through his tousled bangs. But that was all he saw. Cassius, though she stood right next to him, her hands still on his arms, wasn't there.

"Do you get what I mean now?" she asked, her voice sad. "I'm _different_. And I'm never going to change. I'll always be like this, there will always be certain things about me that are better left unknown by others. And nothing is ever going to change that."

Harry turned his head to look at her, his eyes searching her face. "Yes, it will. We'll find a way."

She smiled at him. "It's sweet of you to try, but don't get your hopes up. I learned many years ago that false hopes only lead to broken hearts and shattered dreams."

They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes locked. Cassius looked down with a little laugh.

"Ah, listen to me. There I go again, all depressing-like. You must think me a dreadfully unhappy person," she said.

Harry hooked a finger under her chin, and lifted her face so that he could look into her eyes again. "I see a lot of joy in you. Too much to ever think of you as _unhappy_."

She smiled then, and suddenly, Harry's heart felt like it was clenching up. He touched her swollen lip again, and this time, she didn't flinch.

"That's going to sting tomorrow," he said softly.

"You said that," she replied, her eyes boring into his. A feeling washed over him just then, one that he couldn't put a name to. His finger still on her chin, he leaned forward slightly, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, she was smiling, tears in her eyes.

"Harry..." Her voice trailed off, and she stepped forward, his arms folding around her. She laid her head on his shoulder, and felt his fingers play with the ends of her hair.

She sighed, content, in this place where she was at. She was happy...Truly happy.

* * *

**Awww...**

**Oh, I know what you're probably thinking...three chapters in a row? Oh, I'm not done. I'm in the mood for posting, and writing...I may add a Twilight fanfic later, who knows? Depends on my mood ;) In the meantime, enjoy!**

**~S.P**

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**


	25. Chapter 24 :: Order for Snape's Defense

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

**

* * *

**..._Bloodbrat_...

Cassius awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in her bed, her breath caught in her throat.

Hermione was standing at the end of her bed, saying something rather excitedly.

Cassius shook her head. "What?"

"I said," began Hermione, "you need to get up! Professor McGonagall sent me up to wake you. She said Dumbledore wants you to be ready to go in twenty minutes!"

Cassius shook her head again, confused. "Go? Where?"

"To the_ hearing_! Lucius Malfoy somehow managed to get the Ministry of Magic to put a rush on the situation, and you have to be there in less than an hour!"

"The hearing?! Merlin's beard, of all the things..." Cassius said grumpily, climbing out of bed and moving about the room, gathering her clothes from the wardrobe and her shoes from under the bed.

"We have to go to the Great Hall before you leave. Dumbledore wants to address the students," Hermione said, heading for the door. "I'll meet you down there. Oh, and Cassius..." Cassius turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "Good luck. I know it'll be just fine..." With that, Hermione left the room, leaving Cassius to get dressed.

*

The Great Hall was nearly silent, the students filling it whispering amongst themselves. Cassius felt several pairs of eyes watching her as she made her was to the Gryffindor table. Glancing over at the Slytherins, she saw Malfoy, who was glaring at her in contempt.

"Over here," called Hermione, her voice seeming to echo in the silence. Scanning the sea of faces at her House's table, Cassius spotted her friends, and forced a smile as she hurried to join them.

"Nervous?" asked Ron, smiling as she approached.

"Just a bit," she replied in a shaky voice, taking her seat beside Harry.

"I told you," Hermione said gently. "It's going to be fine, I know it. Everything will work out."

"What if it doesn't?" Cassius asked moodily, frowning, looking down as though inspecting her hands.

"Don't worry," said Ron. "Hermione's right, it will all turn out."

Harry said nothing, simply nodded his head, and smiled encouragingly. He rested his hand on Cassius'.

The familiar sound of MacGonagall's fork tapping her glass brought everyone's attention to the front of the room. Dumbledore stood in front of the teacher's table, facing the students, his hands clasped behind his back.

"As you all are certainly aware," he began, "the hearing concerning the custody of our young Cassius Galdeon is to take place very shortly. Professors Snape, MacGonagall, Hagrid, and myself, will be attending. As such, Potions, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures are all cancelled for the day."

An excited rush ran through the tables, several students cheering, others clapping.

"SILENCE!" shouted Dumbledore over the noise. When the crowd settled, he continued.

"Though most of you have only just met Miss Galdeon yesterday, there are a few of you who have been fortunate enough to have the chance to get to know her over some time. It is the mutual agreement of all teachers that those particular students should join us at the Ministry of Magic, for their testimonies may prove beneficial to Professor Snape's case. Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Mr. Harry Potter, you will be accompanying us to the hearing."

Cassius' head whipped around to face her friends. Hermione was suddenly smiling, Ron's face had gone white with fear, and Harry appeared to be lost in his thoughts, though his hand tightened on hers.

"There will be a petition available for any students who wish to provide support for this case," said Dumbledore. "But it must be very clear that in signing, you agree with the staff and Hogwarts that Professor Snape has done a more than satisfactory job of raising Miss Galdeon, and that you feel it would be best if she is kept in his care. Please be aware of the consequences that will befall our Miss Galdeon, should Professor Snape not be the victor in this hearing."

Several students nodded, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Very well, then. That being said, you will find your separate Houses' petitions at the ends of each table. Please use the quill provided to sign your names, and we will take them with us to the Ministry when you are through."

With a wave of Dumbledore's wand, four pieces of parchment appeared out of thin air, one at each table. Students hurriedly signed and passed it along. When the Gryffindor's copy reached Harry, he looked it over quickly before handing it to Neville, who was sitting beside him. The top of the parchment read:

_Order For Snape's Defense  
We, the undersigned, hereby provide testimony that Professor Severus Snape, Potions  
Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has provided sufficient care and  
nurturing for the minor in question, Cassius Galdeon, age 15, and offer our opinion  
that it would be in the minor's best interest to remain a resident of the school, under his  
care, on a permanent basis._

Several signatures, at least fifty already, followed. Watching the quills moving quickly at the other tables, Harry guessed that just as many, if not more, signatures filled those parchments as well.

*

After using an old compass as a portkey, the group arrived at the Ministry of Magic. As they made their way to the Minister's office, where the hearing was to be held, Harry watched Cassius fret over Snape nervously, straightening his robes and licking her finger to wipe a smudge from his cheek. As she fussed with his hair, she mumbled.

"Stop fidgeting, and stand up straight. You've got to make a good impression for the Minister," she said, a somewhat scolding tone in her voice. "Really, Daddy. You'd think_ I_ was the parent in question here..."

Ron snickered at this comment, but stopped immediately when Snape shot him an irritable look.

"Would you please knock it off?" asked Snape, pushing Cassius' hands away. "I am_ fully_ capable of maintaining my own appearance, you know."

"Come now, you two," hissed McGonagall, looking at them reproachfully. "This is no time for silly bickering! We are here to address a very _serious_ matter..."

"Right you are, Minerva," said Dumbledore. With a hint of amusement in his voice, he added, "But, I daresay, this show of...affection...if only furthur proof that you are, indeed, father and daughter."

"We'll see about that," came a cold voice from behind them. Harry turned around, and found Lucius Malfoy standing just a few feet away, his icy blue eyes fixed on Snape. "This is a complete waste of time. I sincerely doubt that the Minister is going to believe that you are a suitable guardian."

Cassius stepped up to him, her eyes narrowing. "My dad--"

"Hush, darling," Lucius interrupted, smiling coldly down at her. "You wouldn't want to damage that lip anymore than it already is." He reached up, and pressed one gloved finger hard to Cassius' badly bruised lip. She pulled away, flinching.

Snape started to step toward Lucius, his eyes blazing, but Dumbledore's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Calm yourself, Severus. Losing your temper would not bode well for you in the eyes of the Ministry," the old wizard said.

Lucius smirked, and looked back down at Cassius. "I trust that you have your things packed and ready to go. I don't want to waste any time getting you home after we are through here. Your mother is quite anxious to meet you, now that she's calmed down."

"My mother is dead," Cassius growled.

"Literally speaking, yes, she is. But my Narcissa is more than willing to accept you as her own."

Hermione stepped forward. "Well, she'll be quite upset when Cassius comes back with _us_, then won't she?"

Lucius turned his gaze on her. "Stay out of this, girl. You have no business being here in the first place."

"For your information--"

"That's enough, Miss Granger," MacGonagall said firmly.

"There goes Fudge," Ron said suddenly. "I think it's about to start..."

The seconds turned into long minutes as they made their way to the to the office, Lucius and Snape leading the way, casting cold, sideways glances at each other alone the way. Cassius and Harry walked side-by-side directly behind them, Ron and Hermione next, followed by Dumbledore and MacGonagall, with Hagrid's large form bringing up the rear. As they walked, Harry looked over at Cassius, who had the appearance of someone very lost and afraid. Their hands brushed together as they moved, and he laced his fingers through hers. She turned to look at him, and he gave her an encouraging smile. She looked worried, but she returned the smile with one of her own.

In his office, Cornelius Fudge sat at his desk, frantically gathering his notes together. He looked up as the large group came in.

"Ah, I see you've made it alright," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Very well, then...I must apologize for the mess here, but a case such as this is highly unusual for the Ministry to have to deal with..."

"No apology neccessary, Minister," said Lucius in an overly-friendly way. "I think that you are the one owed an apology, as this hearing is absolutely useless..."

"Yes, well, that will be for_ me_ to decide, won't it, Mr. Malfoy?" Fudge asked cooly. He turned to Cassius. "This must be the girl. Miss--" he looked at his notes "--Cassius Galdeon. Yes. Very good. Lovely young lady you are."

Cassius gave him a small smile. She had a bit of trouble understanding him, as he spoke very fast.

"If you don't mind, Miss Galdeon, I have a few questions for you. Please feel free to have a seat," Fudge said, motioning to an empty chair in front of his desk.

Cassius glanced nervously at Snape before slowly moving to sit down. "Now, then. You have been living at the Hogwarts school for quite some time now, have you not?"

Cassius nodded. "Yes, sir. Nearly twelve years," she answered softly.

"And who was it that took on the responsibility of raising you?"

"My da--" She glanced quickly at Snape again, who was watching her, his eyes wide with nervousness. "Er, Professor Severus Snape, sir. He has raised me ever since he found me."

"Where was it that he found you?" asked Fudge.

"In an old tavern, that was run by the Villdawicks. They were using me as a...slave, sir."

Fudge nodded thoughtfully. "I see. And how old were you when Professor Snape found you?"

"Four years old, sir," Cassius said, her voice shaking.

"And what happened after he found you? Did he take you straight to the school?"

Cassius looked desperately at Snape again before answering. "No, sir. He took me to the Malfoy Mansion. He tried to return me to Lucius Malfoy."

"And who is Lucius Malfoy to you?" Fudge asked.  
Cassius was silent for a moment, and looked down at her hands before answering. "My...my father."

"Miss Galdeon," Fudge said gently. "I realize this must be very hard for you. But you must swear to me that you will answer my questions honestly."

Cassius looked up at him, nodding vigorously. "Of course, sir! I would never lie."

"Very good. Now, tell me...What happened when Professor Snape tried to return you to your father?"

"Lucius refused to take me in, sir. He told Professor Snape to take care of me."

"If I may, Minister," said Lucius, stepping forward. Fudge nodded at him. "The situation at the time was not ideal for my daughter. My wife, Narcissa, was not aware of her existence, and I myself believed her to be dead. When Severus brought Cassius back to me, I was overjoyed to see her alive. But taking her in at that time would have proven disastrous for her, and myself, as my wife will have been out of her head with anger, upon finding out that I had been...unfaithful. I admitted the truth to Narcissa many years ago, and she has had plenty of time to move past it. She is now ready and willing to take Cassius into our home, and accept her as her own child."

"Thank you, Lucius. I will take that into consideration when I make my decision. Now," he continued, turning back to Cassius. "Tell me, how has it been, growing up in the school?"

Cassius' eyes widened slightly. "Oh, simply wonderful, sir! The teachers have always been so good to me, and now that I have friends--" she glanced at Ron, who was standing nearby, and smiled a little "--well, I wouldn't give it up for the world!"

Fudge eyed her suspiciously. "Why do you say '_now _that I have friends'?"

Cassius' smile faded, and she bit her sore lip, wincing from the pain. "I hadn't met any of the other students until only just recently."

"And why might that be?"

"I...I was kept away from them."

"Why is that?"

Cassius looked down at her hands. "My da--" she caught herself again "Professor Snape felt it would be safest for me to be kept away."

"If I might interject here, Minister," said Dumbledore. "The idea was partly mine. We thought it best, as the other students may not have understood Miss Galdeon's...problems."

Fudge looked at Cassius carefully. "What problems might those be, Miss Galdeon?"

Cassius kept her eyes down, her voice shaking more. "I...I have traits, sir..."

"What kind of traits?"

She looked up at him, her face suddenly firm. "Vampire traits, sir. To be exact, Villdawick traits. I cannot bear the sunlight, it brings about nasty burns and drains my strength. I cannot see myself in mirrors, there is no reflection. My senses are triple the strength of yours. And...I can transform, take the shape of a bird, at any time I choose. And sometimes, when I don't realize I'm doing it."

Fudge's mouth dropped open slightly, surprised. "Are you being straight with me, Miss Galdeon?"

"I assure you, she is, Minister," said Harry quietly. Fudge looked at him.

"Mr. Potter. I certainly didn't expect to see you here. You are a friend of Miss Galdeon's, I assume?"

"Yes, sir. We've grown very close," Harry answered.

"Very well, then. And you two--" he pointed at Ron and Hermione "--what are your names?"

"Hermione Granger, sir," answered Hermione, stepping forward. "And this is Ronald Weasley. We are also friends of Cassius'."

Fudge nodded. "Very well, then," he said again. "I suppose I might have a few questions for you three, as well."

"Yes, sir," said Harry.

Fudge looked at him. "How long have you known Miss Galdeon?"

"Not long, sir. Just long enough to know what kind of a person she is."

"And what kind of person might that be, Mr. Potter?"

"A good person, sir. Cassius is one of the kindest people I've ever known. She really cares about other people. She'll do anything she can to help--"

"Thank you, Mr. Potter." Fudge turned to Hermione. "Miss...Granger, was it?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, sir. Hermione Granger."

"So you said," Fudge replied, looking down at his notes. "In your opinion, what type of father-figure has Professor Snape been to Miss Galdeon?"

"From all I've seen, sir, Professor Snape is wonderful to her."

"How does he interact with her?"

"Professor Snape is a very different man when he is dealing with Cassius. He is kind, and gentle, and very loving. Anyone can see that he does well by her, you can tell by looking at the person she is today."

"Alright, then." Fudge took up his quill, and began scribbling something in his notes. He looked up at Ron. "Mr. Weasley...your father works here at the Ministry, am I correct?"

Ron nodded nervously. "Y-yes, sir. In the M-misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, sir."

"I thought so," said Fudge. "Would you say that Professor Snape has been a good influence on Miss Galdeon?"

Ron chewed his lip, his hands fidgeting. "Y-yes, sir. The best."

"Very well. Miss Galdeon, I am going to ask you and your friends to please step out into the hall for a bit, so that I may speak in private with the adults present."

"But, sir," cried Cassius. "I don't want to be rude, but this whole hearing involves me. I feel I shouldn't be left out of any of this!"

"Miss Galdeon, I am the one making the decision--"

"But it's a decision about MY life!"

"Control yourself, little love," said Snape, stepping behind her, and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I will not tolerate such a tone, young lady--" Fudge sputtered.

"I'm sorry sir, but it's my life you're deciding on, and I think I should be allowed to know everything that goes on!" Cassius pleaded.

"Go on, girl. Do as you're told. Leave this office at once," said Lucius coldly.

Snape turned on him. "Don't you dare talk to her like that!"

"Gentlemen--" Dumbledore tried to interrupt.

"Excuse me? I will address her in any way I choose--"

"_Gentlemen_--" Dumbledore tried again. Hagrid shifted his feet, ready to seperate the arguing men if needed.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT--" Snape shouted, his face white with fury.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Fudge, getting to his feet. "This is the Ministry of Magic, not a circus! I will NOT put up with fighting in my office!"

Snape and Lucius glared at each other with mutual hatred, but fell silent.

Fudge drew in a deep breath, and sat back down.

"Now, then. It's apparent that this case is getting out of hand, and that angry outburst has shown that the only option is very clear. Miss Galdeon, I will have a word alone with you now. Lucius, please return to your home. The rest of you, go back to the school. I will notify you all of my final decision by owl-post, after I have sent Miss Galdeon on her way. Good day to you all."

* * *

**Breaking out in an argument in front of the Minister in the middle of a custody hearing can't be a good thing...o.O**

**~SP  
**


	26. Chapter 25 :: Never Say Goodbye

**Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.**

**

* * *

  
**

The school was eerily silent when the group, minus Cassius, returned to the school. It had begun to storm, and the echo of the rain in the halls was nearly deafening.

Harry tried hard not to worry about Fudge's decision, but whenever he passed the place where Cassius had led him into the walls, he found himself wondering what he would do if Cassius were forced to leave. He trudged to through the day's remaining lessons, a feeling of misery threatening to overtake him as each hour went by, with no sign of her.

Snape appeared to be going through the same thing, as he sat at the teacher's table during the nightly feast, barely picking at his food. Once in a while he would look up, his face twisted in concern. Harry knew what he was looking for - the owl Fudge had said he would send.

"Harry," said Hermione, across the table, in a soft voice. "Stop thinking about it. You'll drive yourself mad."

"I know," he replied, looking down at his hands. "I just can't help--"

A frightened gasp cut him off, and he turned to see what had happened.

At the entrance to the Great Hall, a figure had appeared, wearing a long, black, hooded cloak that dripped rain onto the floor. As Harry watched, a hand lifted from beneath the cloak, and pushed the hood back.

Long, raven-black hair spilled out of it, and icy blue eyes scanned the room.

Cassius.

Harry leapt to his feet and started toward her quickly, but stopped when he saw her face. She wasn't even looking at him, it was almost as though she didn't see him there. Instead, she was looking past him, toward the front of the silent room. Snape, his eyes wide with shock, stood and rushed around the teacher's table, stopping in the center of it, staring straight ahead at Cassius in relieved disbelief.

She stared back at him, her eyes brimming, her swollen lip trembling. Suddenly, her face broke into a wide grin, and, laughing, she took off running down the center aisle toward Snape. He caught her in his arms, lifting her from the floor in a tight embrace. Pressing his lips repeatedly to the side of her face, he began to do something that none of the students of Hogwarts had ever seen him do before, had ever even imagined he was capable of doing...

_He started to cry._

An explosion seemed to have taken place in the Hall, as students and teachers alike burst into cheers, many screaming in excitement and relief. Several had gathered around Snape and Cassius, all talking at once, asking her what had happened, how did she get here, what did the Minister of Magic say...

Looking a bit overwhelmed, but still smiling broadly, tears on her cheeks, Cassius looked around, until her eyes fell on Harry, who smiled back at her, and rushed to her side. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"I asked Minister Fudge not to send an owl," she said. "I wanted to surprise you all."

"What exactly did he say?" asked Snape, his hands resting on her shoulders, his eyes slightly red from crying.

"He said that he could see that I am a strong-willed young lady," Cassius replied, gazing happily at Snape. "That I'm not afraid to say whatever's on my mind. He said I must get that from you," she added, poking Snape playfully in the elbow with her free hand. She turned to look up at Dumbledore, who was smiling down at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "He said that I've been brought up well, and that it would be a pity to change the way things are."

Snape sucked in a breath, and kissed her forehead hard. She giggled, and turned her gaze back up to him.

"And he said...Sometimes, water runs thicker than blood."

Harry looked at her, confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Cassius replied, smiling at him, and then turning back to Snape, "that in the eyes of the Ministry, and therefore, the entire Wizarding World, I am the rightful daughter...of Severus Snape."

Another cheer rose up from the crowd, as Snape once again pulled Cassius into a tight embrace. She laughed, tears of joy spilling from her eyes. Harry stood by, watching, unable to supress a laugh of his own.

The raucous cheering was cut short, and replaced by frightened screams, when suddenly, the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the west side of the Hall shattered, shards of glass flying everywhere. Students ducked, and Snape turned himself quickly to cover Cassius, and Harry - who was still holding Cassius' hand - with his own body. More screams were heard, as the ugliest creature Harry had ever seen in his life stepped through the hole in the wall.

Hiding under a table, Ron and Hermione watched as the creature, which had the body of a snake, but had feathers and wings, and stood up on two legs, made its way into the Hall, hissing at the students that were running around it in a panic, trying to get away.

"What is that thing?" cried Ron, his voice cracking.

"It's an Occamy," answered Hermione, her eyes fixed on the beast, which was beating its giant wings furiously, snapping its head around, as though looking for something. "They're not usually found around here..."

Ron looked at her, his eyes wide. "Well, there's one right there!"

"WATCH IT!" Hermione screamed, and grabbed the back of his head, pulling it down beside hers on the floor. They narrowly avoided getting hit as the Occamy's long tail crashed through the table beside them.

At the front of the room, Snape was pushing Cassius and Harry toward the door behind the teacher's table. Just as they came within a few feet of it, the Occamy's large eyes caught sight of them, and it moved so that its giant leg blocked their path. Its eyes fixing on Cassius, it hissed again, and bent, as though to strike. Snape jumped in front of her to block the beast's attack, but it knocked him to the side, into the teacher's table, with a hard shake of its head, knocking him senseless.

A loud, cold laugh came from the direction of the entrance, and Lucius Malfoy stepped into the Hall, passing the students that were rushing out, clapping his hands in excitement.

"Very good, very good. Now, _get the girl_!" he shouted at the monster, walking up the aisle to stand before Harry and Cassius.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Harry bellowed at him, his face twisted with rage.

"Taking what's mine," Lucius replied, smiling menacingly. "This all wouldn't have been neccessary, if your Professor Snape hadn't caused me so much grief about it."

"WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Cassius screamed, as the Occamy pulled itself up to its full height, glaring down at her.

"Because, my darling," Lucius answered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You are needed to play a very vital part...in a _very_ vital event."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

Lucius smirked at her. "Don't you know, my dear? You," he continued, stepping forward and grabbing her face in one hand, "are going to become _queen._"

"Queen?!" cried Harry. "Queen of whom?"

"Oh, I do wish you would stay out of this, Potter," Lucius snapped, glaring at him. A cold, cruel smile spread across his lips. "But, since you asked...Your precious Cassius will become the Queen of the Villdawicks in just a few days time."

"You've gone _mad_!" cried Cassius, pulling free from his grasp. He quickly grabbed her by the front of her cloak, pulling her close.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, darling. You see, at the very moment that you turn sixteen, you will come into your full vampiric powers. All that will be necessary would be...for you...to die."

"So you sent this--" she pointed at the Occamy, which was watching them, appearing to be waiting for something "--this _thing_ to come and kill me?!"

Lucius shook his head, laughing. "No, no, foolish girl. I sent it...to_ retrieve_ you. It will take you to a place where no one--" he glanced at Harry "--will find you. You see, pet, your birthday comes in six days. You must be kept safe until that day arrives, and then...we'll celebrate."

"Celebrate?!"

"Why, yes. I think a birthday, a turning, and a wedding, all in one night, is cause for a celebration."

Cassius shook her head, confused. "A..._wedding_?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Enough questions. It's time to go. Oh, and we'd better make sure you don't try to run away once you get there," he added, pulling out his wand. "So sorry about this, love, but I'm afraid I really can't trust you to stay where you're put. _IMPERIO_!" he shouted, and a blue-white light shot out of the tip of his wand, hitting Cassius square in the chest.

Harry felt her grip on his hand tighten as her body went rigid. The Occamy moved suddenly, its tail whipping around fast, striking Harry. He was knocked aside, landing on the broken remains of the Gryffindor table. Ron and Hermione crawled out of their hiding place and knelt beside him. They watched, horrified, as the beast swung its tail again, this time knocking Cassius off of her feet. She landed a few feet away from them, out cold, and Harry moved to grab her and pull her away from the Occamy.

The creature rose again, snatched Cassius up into one of its scaly talons, and, with a thrust of its massive wings, took off through the hole in the wall.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched helplessly as the beast carrying their friend disappeared into the night. Harry jumped to his feet, and faced Lucius.

"_Where are you taking her_?!" he yelled.

Lucius sneered at him. "That is none of your concern, Potter. At least, it isn't..._yet_. But, I daresay, after the wedding that may change."

"What wedding?!" cried Hermione, getting to her feet as well.

"Why, my daughter's wedding, of course," Lucius replied. "I've found her the perfect match."

"Who?" asked Ron, his voice angry. Harry shook his head slowly, his eyes widening, already knowing the answer.

"Who else would be best suited to rule beside her? Who else," Lucius said, his eyes gleaming with a dark anticipation, "but _Lord Voldemort_."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**_A bride for Voldemort..._**

**_A secret plan..._**

**_A deadly fate..._**

**_A family's betrayal..._**

**_So much more to come..._**

**Reviews are so fun...Look for TST: Bloodbrat, posting later today!**

**~SP  
**


	27. Author's Note

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed **_**The Secret Tower**_**! Yes, I know…it ended in a cliffhanger. I'm well-known for doing that…But have no fear, **_**The Secret Tower II :: Bloodbrat **_**is already in progress, go check it out!**

**~SP**


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